As Delhi pushes use of public transport, users flag unreliable last-mile connectivity

As the Delhi government urges residents to shift towards public transport as part of its fuel conservation and austerity push, commuters across the city say overcrowded metro coaches, infrequent buses, unsafe and unreliable last-mile connectivity, and poor pedestrian infrastructure continue to make daily travel exhausting and inconvenient.

- Gargi Shukla and Snehil Sinha

For 25-year-old Sonu Choudhary, the cooling zone near Gate No 3 of the Delhi Metro station at Jama Masjid offered temporary relief on Monday while he waited nearly an hour for a DTC bus to Pul Prahladpur near Badarpur. Delhi government ministers and officials also observed Metro Monday.

“It's been almost an hour, but the bus on Route 405 still hasn't arrived. Luckily, the cooling zone is just a few steps away, so the wait hasn't been too difficult. There are a limited number of buses operating on the Badarpur route, so long waits have become routine,” said Choudhary.