Commuting chaos

Once a Dilliwala deboards the metro, he, more often than not, steps into a void of uncertainty. He exits the station and then begins the Herculean task of looking for a commuting vehicle in the city. Thankfully, the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation is aiming to solve the problem by tying up with a bike-sharing app.

Upasana, a regular metro traveller, feels that the new step will help in ensuring the safety of citizens. She explains, “For a student like me, I’ll not have to get into arguments with the auto-rickshaw driver and also will have fewer worries about the commute late at night after getting off the metro.” Kamya, another resident, is of the opinion that it is a very needed step, especially for people whose  nearest metro stations are at least 5-6 km far from their places.

She recalls how one of her college friends who puts up in Gaur City, Noida, has to commute everyday to Botanical Garden metro station via highly packed Gramin Sevas. She further adds, “This shall also reduce the unnecessary sky-touching auto fares because at the end of the day, for a regular commuter, especially students, paying 120 bucks of conveyance charges apart from metro fares doesn’t sound sane.”

While some hope that this might make travel safer for city residents, some feel that this tie-up is not a solution for the city as most people do not trust bikers. Some even feel it might be counterproductive. Shriya Sachdeva, a student opines, “This will lead to an increase in congestion on the roads, in turn, negating the purpose of the metro to cut down traffic.” Shaurya Dey, a Delhi resident fears that the move may not be a game-changer for certain localities. “Personally, it wouldn’t help me. I don’t see people using it anyway. People use e-rickshaws that cost `10 to reach your place and are pretty safe,” he says.

However, from an environmental point of view, the move can be a plus for it shall promote pooling and demote pollution. “I think it is good, eco-friendly and convenient. But for the people who are not well-versed with technology, they might find it difficult,” says Oliver, a city dweller. On being asked whether these bikes will help resolve the problem of lack of last-minute commute or not, Oliver responds, “That’s a maybe because cycles don’t go as fast as other modes of transport and also if I have to go to a place that’s crowded, I wouldn’t prefer going on a cycle for safety reasons.”