Delays in approvals can be very expensive as commuters of Delhi are sadly finding out
There was a huge furore recently when the Delhi Metro sharply increased fares twice in under six months. The fare increase was rightly seen to have hit the poorer commuters on the metro system hardest, even with discounts on using Metro cards, the average commuter ends up spending almost 50 per cent more than before. While there is no doubt that the Metro system in Delhi should be financially viable and a fare increase was necessary, the quantum of the increase should have been kept in check. However, it is also apparent that the sniping between the city and central governments is a major reason for the fare increase.
It has come to light that delays in approving a funding agency for the fourth phase of the Delhi Metro over the past three years as the Aam Aadmi Party led Delhi Government fought with the Bharatiya Janata Party led Central Government has led to a potential Rs 6,000 crore hike. At the end of the day, it is the metro commuter and the city taxpayer who will have to foot the bill of this political turmoil, an average increase of Rs 5,000 for every man, woman and child in this city, because while the Delhi Metro does serve Delhi’s outlying suburbs in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, those state governments fund the stretches in their states, and in the case of the privately-run Rapid Metro in Gurugram and the upcoming Noida-Greater Noida line have their own projects.
The Metro is important to Delhi, while this city took its own sweet time in constructing a mass-rapid transit system, and for a long time was the only Indian metropolis without one, the Delhi Metro is on its way to becoming one of the largest Metro systems in the world. In fact, by the end of the fourth phase of the Delhi Metro, it will be behind only Shanghai and Beijing metros in terms of both length and total ridership globally. This befits one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of 11 million and if you include the adjoining cities, an effective metropolitan population of 25 million. Since the Metro started in Delhi, it has revived downtown areas and has kept hundreds of thousands of cars and motorcycles off the road, thus reducing both vehicular traffic and emissions. It has also turbocharged the economy, increasing tax revenues and made it possible for commuters to live further away from their jobs. There is also no doubt that this effective public transportation system indirectly played a part in improving India’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rank that considered Delhi and Mumbai.
It is therefore tragic that the two Governments are trying to score political points over this. Delhi’s public transport network was dysfunctional for years and the Metro saved it. The Metro saved Delhi from becoming an economically defunct city, this despite almost no planning for last-mile connectivity or much in the form of parking facilities for consumers, let alone multi-modal integration. At least there are plans to change that in upcoming phases. But that is only possible if the future phases of the Delhi Metro get built instead of becoming stuck in a political morass. The politicians should realise that an economically healthy and vibrant Delhi is important for the country and the economy and they should not jeopardise it to score brownie points with their constituencies.