It’s a lifeline for the people residing in Delhi and its satellite cities, but over the years, there has been a growing need for better facilities in Delhi Metro. With a ridership of nearly 24 lakh, the Delhi Metro’s move to increase the minimum recharge value from Rs 100 to Rs 200 has not gone down well with its commuters. More so, people are also feeling the need for better facilities like drinking water kiosks and improved complaint redressal system.
While introduction of the smart card facility had come as a major relief to people as they could avoid long queues, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s move to increase its card recharge value has irked many, especially those who travel short distances. It has also affected those who have cards but travel less frequently on the Metro. Besides, students also have to bear the brunt of paying extra from their pocket money. “A minimum recharge of Rs 200 is too steep. It becomes very difficult during emergency. There are times when I am in a hurry and my smart card does not have Rs 8 balance either. To add to the worry, I don’t always carry Rs 200. So I end up buying a token. It becomes very difficult,” said Amogh Suman, a student of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.
In May this year, Delhi Metro had increased the minimum value for top up of smart cards from Rs 100 to Rs 200. The initial add value on purchase of new smart cards were increased from Rs 50 to Rs 100. Making commuters shell out Rs 150 for a new smart card, of which Rs 50 will be kept aside as refundable security deposit. The DMRC justified its action by saying that the maximum fare has also increased from Rs 30 to Rs 42. “With the inclusion of rapid Metro, the maximum fare will now be Rs 42. So, if a person has to travel to-and-fro from the farthest point, s/he will have to shell out Rs 84 in just one trip. It should also be noticed that we have not increased the fare as per distances; it’s just the recharge value. Above all, smart card users are mostly frequent users. They travel day in and day out in the Capital,” said a DMRC official.
Amenities in the Metro too have been a cause of concern. After facing severe criticism for not including toilets in its building plans for stations, the DMRC has now made public toilets mandatory in each of its present and upcoming stations. But, the maintenance of the same is very poor forcing people to opt not to use it and find other alternatives. “The toilets are filthy at the station premises. It’s way too unhygienic. The stink is so unbearable that it’s better to wait it out and do it somewhere else,” said Alka Chaudhary, a resident of Paschim Vihar in West Delhi. “The problem is that we have to check out of the station for using a toilet in the premise. By doing so, we waste more money by checking-in again to reach our destination,” said Nakul Dhillon, an IT professional.
Absence of adequate water facility is also a major concern. “Water is available only in the café kiosks. Only some kiosks offer a glass of water at Rs 1, others sell only mineral water bottles. Moreover, these kiosks are not present at every station. The DMRC should introduce dedicated water kiosks at its stations,” added Suman.
The complaints redressal system too was not up to the mark with scores of complaints going unattended. There have been cases where commuters were not given the complaint book at the station control room. “Our public complaints cell is responsible for grievance redressal. And each employee gets a week’s deadline to address a complaint, otherwise strict action is taken against them,” said a DMRC official.