manoj

The millennium city could never have imagined the price it would have to pay for not having a proper public transport system. The ease with which the gang of killer cabbies operated on the highway, without being detected for months even as the body count rose to 29, shows how vulnerable commuters are in the city.

It’s ironical that in Gurgaon, touted as Singapore in the making, most residents depend on their own vehicles, maxicabs, autos or cyclerickshaws. What’s more worrying is that most of these maxicabs are unauthorised. As per records available with the district transport office (DTO), a total of 1,253 taxis are registered with it. Of these, only 20 are maxicabs.

Admits a transport department official, ‘‘Most of the maxicabs plying in Gurgaon are unauthorised. That’s why since the crackdown began on these vehicles following the arrest of the killer cabbies, they have started disappearing from the road.’’

This has left commuters with little choice but to board trucks on the highway. ‘‘We know it’s illegal and we should avoid taking such lifts. But what can we do when we have to reach office? There is no public transport available. Think how risky it can get for commuters who have to travel in these trucks at night. Had there been a good public transport system, we could have avoided taking such risks,’’ says Brijesh Srivastav, whose office is at Hero Honda crossing.

You can’t expect maxicab drivers to bother about road safety norms, as most of them have no formal training. And in most cases, the owner has no clue as to who’s driving his vehicle. Says Bhagwan Singh who owns two maxicabs plying between Gurgaon and Daruhera: ‘‘I don’t know who is driving my maxicab. They keep changing drivers. But all of them have valid licenses, and whenever police ask us to submit photographs and relevant documents, we follow the order.’’ Gurgaon senior superintendent of police Hanif Qureshi, however, states that not many vehicle owners have submitted the identity proof of their drivers, as required by the police.

Rohit Yadav of Nurpur village says he has never met the owner of the maxicab he drives. ‘‘I don’t know his name, but my senior has his number. He can tell you more,’’ adds Yadav. According to him, the maxicab owners usually give out their vehicles on contract to a group of middlemen, who hire the drivers. The drivers are usually sourced from neighbouring areas of Pataudi, Farrukh Nagar, Dhundahera, Bilaspur, Bohda Kalan (now infamous for the killer cabbies) and Ferozpur Zhirka. Some rudimentary skill is enough for the job, and nobody bothers to verify the credentials of the driver.

While tracing erring drivers is a difficult task in the absence of documents, what makes the ride more unsafe is that most of these maxicabs and jeeps have no numberplates. ‘‘We have strictly asked the cab owners to place numberplates at the front and back, else the vehicles will be impounded,’’ says sub-divisional magistrate J S Sangwan.

Overloading is another common problem as drivers try to pack maximum profit from a trip. ‘‘We take in at least 13 passengers. How else would we earn?’’ defends Bholu, a helper in a maxicab that plies between Gurgaon bus stand and Sohna. As per norms, a maximum of 10 commuters are allowed inside a maxicab. The situation is not very different in case of authorised mini buses plying on Daruhera route. The frequency is so low that passengers often climb on to the roof and hang from the footboard. The SDM says the district administration has started cracking down on overloaded vehicles, but this drive has hardly been a deterrant. ‘‘We have observed that maxicab drivers are involved in most number of accidents,’’ states an official of the transport department.

So, if we rule out maxicabs as unsafe, what are the other options before commuters? As per records, Gurgaon has only 176 registered private buses and 1,265 autos. The number is pitifully short compared to the city’s over 10 lakh population. While reaching IFFCO Chowk is not a problem, travelling from there to any other destination is a commuters’ nightmare.

‘‘The situation is critical as Gurgaon attracts a huge floating population everyday. They have no option but to risk travelling in a polluting auto, illegal maxicab or some other dangerous mode of transport. Buses plying on long routes refuse passengers who have to go short distances,’’ says Bhawani Shankar, a resident of Sector-23A who works with an NGO.

Although officials say there’s nothing unusual in this for a city which is growing, residents feel it’s time the government pitched in. Says Gurgaon Citizens’ Council president R S Rathee, ‘‘An enquiry should be carried out to find out who’s putting a spoke in the proposal for a public transport system. People now want some action, they are tired of proposals. The government has been talking about such plans for years.’’

Public Transport

No. of private buses.........176
Autos plying in Gurgaon.....1,265
No. of registered taxis (including maxicabs)......1,253

MAXI CAB ROUTES

IFFCO Chowk to Manesar and Daruhera Gurgaon bus stand to Ferozpur Zhirka and Sohna Daruhera to Pataudi and Rewadi;

Charges: Rs 15-20 Autos travel to most parts of the city, charge Rs 5.

Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com (Delhi Edition)
Date Of Publish: 17-Nov-06

__________________
Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.

manoj

Though the Haryana government realised the need for a public transport system in the millennium city over six years back, the project launched to increase connectivity between new and old Gurgaon was scrapped hastily — within two months — as authorities claimed it was not financially viable.

Residents recall that buses belonging to Haryana Roadways used to make the rounds of residential colonies in 1999-2000. Had the government then increased the frequency of buses and introduced mini buses as well, commuting would not have remained a nightmare in Gurgaon. Instead, the buses were pulled out of these routes, and now, only the bus shelters dot the colonies.

Says Shyam, a student of Dronacharya College of Engineering: ‘‘We are desperately in need of a public transport system. Though we have college buses to pick us up, the day we miss the bus, it’s a real problem. We have to take overloaded autos, which are dangerous. But we have no option.’’
Agrees Lokesh Aggrawal, a student of Manesar, ITI: ‘‘We are dependent on dangerous modes of transport. Gurgaon generates a substantial revenue for the exchequer, yet successive governments have failed to provide the residents with a safe public transport system. We would not have lost so many lives to killer cabbies if a proper transport system was in place.’’

Says Yogi Yadav, a businessman: ‘‘The government should be held responsible for all 29 deaths. How can the government expect commuters to take precaution without providing any facility? What can be more shameful than the fact that a rich city like Gurgaon has no public transport to speak of ? The government must act fast, else we will lose more lives.’’

Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com (Delhi Edition)
Date Of Publish: 17-Nov-06

__________________
Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.

japakshree

gurgaon is in major need of more traffic regulating rules, of more ACTIVE traffic cops and red lights which have power back up

prem

Gurgaon also need good transportation facilities. Number of buses plying between Delhi and Gurgaon especially between Mehrauli and Gurgaon are not enough therefore daily commuters are forced to travel in overcrowded buses and BPO cabs. Similarly situation of transportation facilities inside the Gurgaon can’t say well.