Dwarka Expressway residents push for feeder bus services to metro, intercity public transport
Residents along the Dwarka Expressway have sought dedicated bus services to metro stations, citing poor connectivity, rising cab costs and worsening traffic congestion.
Residents seek bus services along Dwarka Expressway
(File Photo) People living along the Dwarka Expressway in Gurgaon have written letters to top government officials, seeking introduction of dedicated public bus services to link various sectors of the city with major Delhi Metro stations. They have cited lack of connectivity that, they say, force reliance on private vehicles and cabs.
In letters dated January 14 and 17, the Dwarka Expressway-Gurugram Development Association (DXP-GDA) highlighted that buses do not run frequently on routes connecting Gurgaon and Dwarka metro nodes, including Sector 21 and Yashobhoomi (IICC) stations of the Delhi Metro.
The January 14 letter, addressed to Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, Delhi L-G V K Saxena, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, read: “Despite the rapid development of housing societies, offices, schools, and healthcare facilities along this corridor, last-mile and intercity public transport options remain grossly inadequate. At present, thousands of daily commuters are compelled to rely on private vehicles, app-based cabs, or informal transport due to the absence of frequent, scheduled bus services.”
The letter said these lead to severe congestion on service roads and arterial junctions, increased travel time and commuter hardship, higher vehicular emissions and worsening air quality, disproportionate impact during traffic restrictions and pollution-control measures.
Noting that the Dwarka Expressway was envisioned as a high-capacity urban corridor, it said: “However, without a robust public bus network integrated with the metro system, its full potential for sustainable mobility cannot be realized.”
“The introduction of regular, time-bound electric bus services is, thus, sought for sustainable urban development,” it added.
The letter dated January 17, was addressed to Gurgaon MP and Union Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh.
“After toll was levied recently, cab fares to Dwarka have increased… The expressway is the only motorable road that connects us to Delhi and Gurgaon. Even school buses have to pay Rs 60,000 per month — a cost that is passed on to us (residents). The working population is dependent on taxis. During the launch of the e-way, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had promised electric buses but nothing has materialised yet,” DXP-GDA Deputy Convenor Sunil Sareen told The Indian Express.
The demands of the residents have also brought to the fore the ongoing challenges related to public transport in west Gurgaon. “One has to take multiple e-rickshaws to get to Sikanderpur (nearest metro). We had written a letter to the authorities three months back, but did not get a response,” said Prakash Lamba, RWA president of Sector 21 in Old Gurgaon that is just 4 km away from Cyberhub.
The Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMNCL), whose parent body is the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), currently operates a fleet of 150 buses across the city.
Late last year, GMBCL had announced that it would add 200 electric buses. On January 1, it also signed an MoU with Plaksha University, in coordination with Street Surge, for academic and technical work towards a bus route optimisation project.
On December 16, GMDA CEO P C Meena had directed officials to identify new routes where city bus services can be introduced to ensure wider coverage and improved last-mile connectivity.
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