Qutub Minar se Secretariat tak

DTC to run special feeder buses to woo commuters who might be inconvenienced because of Gurgaon Metro link not opening in one go

DTC to run special feeder buses to woo commuters who might be inconvenienced because of Gurgaon Metro link not opening in one go

It's a link that will bring the Millennium City closer to the Capital. But there are a few roadblocks on the way.
Though Delhi Metro has again shelved its plan to open the entire Central Secretariat to Gurgaon Line in one go, it has teamed up with Delhi Transport Corporation to run special feeder buses from Qutub Minar Metro station to Central Secretariat, where minor finishing work is yet to be completed.

Now, only a small stretch between Qutub Minar and Gurgaon will be opened for public later this month. After the inauguration, DTC will run feeder buses from Qutub Minar station and various parts of the city to help Metro commuters.

"The entire stretch of Central Secretariat- Gurgaon is not being opened in one go. Some work is left between Central Secretariat and Qutub Minar. And, this gap could be a problem and major hassle for commuters. So, we are in talks with DTC for a temporary special feeder bus service between Qutub Minar and Central Secretariat and also for other parts of the city," said an official.

The Metro link is slated to open before June 25.
"The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) R K Kardam has given his clearance for the inspection of the link on June 9 and 10. After his mandatory inspection, the link could be opened for commercial operation at anytime. We are planning to open it by June 15," said a senior Delhi government official.
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During the inspection, the CMRS will check the functioning of the electrification and signalling systems, tracks and all the stations.

In the fast lane

The length of the Central Secretariat-HUDA City Centre (Gurgaon) line is 27 km. The 13 km line connecting Qutub Minar with Central Secretariat is likely to open by mid-July. Ultimately, the line will be integrated with the existing Line 2 (Jehangirpuri-Central Secretariat). The 14 km stretch between Qutub Minar and Gurgaon will be opened before June 15. There will be a total of 60 trains at a frequency of three to four minutes for the stretch. The Line has been built at a total cost of Rs 3,720 crore, and is expected to add over 3.4 lakh people to the Metro ridership by 2011.

After the Gurgaon line, DMRC will have only two lines to complete before the Commonwealth Games in October. They are the Central Secretariat-Badarpur and the New Delhi-Airport Express Line.

A DTC traffic department official when contacted confirmed that a special DTC bus service would run between Qutub Minar and various parts of the city, including Central Secretariat.

"We are in talks with Delhi Metro to finalise the operation plan. We have proposed a free journey for the passengers and in return have asked DMRC to pay us Rs 50 per passengeru00a0 for a journey between Central Secretariat and Qutub Minar,"u00a0 said the DTC official, wishing anonymity.

"But as Delhi Metro commuters are issued tokens, it would be difficult to identify them. As this process might last for a period of one month, we are looking for a temporary arrangement. Hopefully, the deal would be agreed upon within two to three days," he added.u00a0