Delhi Metro, popular people's transport

New Delhi, Jul 20 (UNI) With the Metro becoming the city's lifeline similar to Mumbai's ''local'', the mode of transit has indeed changed the way we travel.

Started on December 24, 2002, the Delhi Metro became the second underground rapid transit system in the country, after Kolkata.

But unlike Kolkata, the Delhi Metro has a combination of elevated, at-grade and underground lines.

It has brought interesting changes in the life of the ''aam aadmi''. It provided him a chance to not only travel faster, but also in comfort.

For competent prices, one can ditch jostling in buses for a comfortable ride in air-conditioned Metro.

An added bonus comes in form of the clean surroundings.

The Metro saw probably the same kind of resentment that comes with each public works project. It came with traffic jams, diversions and one-ways.

But the ease which it brought in, well-ahead of its completion date, it gave the travellers a reason to try the ride.

The Metro has now become part of life. ''Will meet you at the metro station'' are becoming common phrases and the stations landmarks.

Women who were perhaps shy of leaving their Chandi Chowk bylanes to travel to other parts of the city for the reason of being uncomfortable, are now using the metro as if it were a part of their daily routine. For the shopaholics in the city, the Metro has connected the sprawling malls of Rajouri Garden to the Gen X.

In a city where buses on a route have a frequency of 15 minutes, the Metro has proved to be a boon with a second train every four minutes.

The service has also connected the once-upon-a-time far flung areas like Dwarka, Rithala and Delhi University to the city.

The pricing has also been kept well within the budget of the common man. Even after a hike, the cost of travel remains within the means of the man who on an average spends about Rs 30-40 a day on travelling to work.

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