How To Commute In Delhi

Road Transport

Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi is supposedly the gateway to the world through Delhi, which is located towards the west side corner of the capital city of India. Supposed to be one of South Asia’s busiest airports, IGI Airport has more than 36 countries running their flights directly to the airport. The airport has good communication with the city centre of New Delhi, by means of the services of airport express, leaving for the airport from the railway station of New Delhi. Many buses from nearby states have their routes to this airport, which can also be reached through the Expressway of Delhi-Gurgaon travelling by car.

Local Transport

In the city of New Delhi, local mode of transportation is made up of privately owned vehicles to the extent of one third. As the city has been planned, plenty of arterial routes are present in the road network of the city, where the density of road is possibly among the largest. Although this is quite true, driving is not encouraged in any way, as it is not safe to navigate through the Delhi roads, needing lots of skill, nerve and experience. For this reason, it is better to go along with an experienced driver in Delhi.

Without having a car even, you can experience the driving conditions of the Delhi roads, especially when going in the buses, which are the popular means of travelling in India. This mode of travelling might not be pleasant for women, as they will find the buses quite overcrowded and the phenomenon of wandering hands is quite common, which is termed as a form of eve teasing. But still then, the bus transport system in Delhi is quite cheap, with well established network of buses under the Delhi Transport Corporation.

Among other modes of communications in Delhi, auto-rickshaws are quite popular and integral part of the road traffic in Delhi. Since they are a bit smaller in size, they can pass through small gaps past the buses and cars, even in congested traffic conditions. Such mode of auto-rickshaw driving has made them faster, but at the same time, dangerous in the roads of Delhi. These vehicles are coloured yellow and also has green colour, but are powered by Compressed Natural Gas or CNG. Fares in this kind of transportation can be negotiated and should be agreed in advance, although the basic pricing has been fixed at Rs 25 for the initial two kilometres and thereafter, the cost is Rs 8 for each kilometre travelled.

Taxis are another mode of travel in Delhi, although these are fewer than the auto-rickshaws, but are available readily. One can find taxi stands in almost all neighbourhoods. Most of the taxis in Delhi are under private ownerships, although nowadays the concept of centrally operated radio taxis is becoming popular, which are mostly air conditioned and higher priced. It is best to pick up taxis with official numbers and licenses.

Rail Transport

Rail communication through New Delhi is one of the major facilities in the country. If people are travelling to New Delhi, it is best to take up the train option, more so for long journeys. Indian Railways is under the central government and has track of about 64,000 kms, making it the fourth largest train network in the entire world. Although the first class travel is a bit expensive, it provides convenient and pleasant experience. Train travel should be planned prior to the day of travel and therefore, passengers should be prepared to handle anything out of expectation. Advance booking of tickets is possible through Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

Metro

The aim of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is to provide coverage of the entire city of Delhi, possibly by the year 2021. Presently, passengers can travel with tokens for single journey, where there are 1 day or 3 day passes providing unlimited journey or with travel cards, which are rechargeable. In the official website of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, one can find details about the fare charges and the train timings across different stations.

Delhi Metro is still being expanded and is in working condition. Six track lines have become operational completely, where the trains provide high speed and efficient travelling in the coaches which are air conditioned. Women from outside should travel safely by riding in the coaches meant for ladies only.