Friday, May 21, 2010

A Single ticket for DTC Bus, Delhi Metro and CWG Event

Come October and you can use the ticket you’ve bought to watch the Commonwealth Games for a ride on the Metro or a DTC bus. On Thursday, organizing committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi said that the proposal to have a common ticket for the Commonwealth Games, Metro and DTC has been accepted. ‘‘Anyone buying a ticket for an event for the Commonwealth Games will be allowed two rides on the same ticket on the Metro or the DTC,’’ said Kalmadi.

The decision comes after months of discussions among the three agencies involved in the proposal the transport department of Delhi government, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and OC. The tussle was over the funding for the project, which none of the agencies was willing to foot. Kalmadi, while announcing that the common ticket would be available from June 1 onwards, added that the project was not being funded by the OC. ‘‘The issue has been resolved by the other two agencies. All I can say is that OC is not funding the project, though we will ensure that the common tickets are available from June 1,’’ he said.

Even as senior DMRC and transport department officials said they are unaware of any decision on the funding of tickets, the fact that spectators to the Games will get free rides has been resolved. It is estimated that DTC will spend about Rs 6 crore to 7 crore to ferry spectators free of cost and will spend about Rs 30 crore more for providing a fleet of 574 dedicated buses for athletes, dignitaries, officials, etc. ‘‘DTC will not be able to bear the additional loss and Delhi government will have to bail the corporation out,’’ said sources. DMRC too plans to accept paper tickets from spectators in exchange for tokens for spectators using the Metro. ‘‘The modalities are still being worked out,’’ said a senior DMRC official.

Special bus routes and timetables have been worked out for the 14-day period of the Games where city buses will facilitate movement of people to the Games venues and places of tourist interest.

Initially, the Delhi Government had suggested that it would charge Rs 100 as its share from the OC for common ticketing system for DTC and Metro. Officials said the main purpose is to promote public transport system during Games. Interestingly, the OC had recommended that DTC and Metro provide subsidized or free services to spectators during the Games, a suggestion which both agencies had refused, citing poor economic logic. Sources added that the OC had also refused to support DTC financially on the issue.

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