Ggn may face chaos after Delhi applies odd-even scheme

Gurgaon could be headed for a chaotic situation when the odd-even formula kick starts on January 1. This will make the city dependent on public transport which may lead to overcrowding of buses and Metros. This rule has questioned the last mile connectivity in Gurgaon for which the Gurgaon Authorities are not prepared.

Everyday around 2.5 lakh private cars ply between the two cities — Delhi and Gurgaon — with a large number of them driven by people coming from Delhi to their offices in this corporate hub.

The figures received from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) indicates that on an average, when only odd numbered cars will be allowed, 1.25 lakh cars with even numbers will be off the roads. So, we are talking of at least 1.25 lakh people who will have to find alternative modes of transportation to get to work. The numbers are susceptible to rise, because one car may have more than one passenger. Even if the commuters choose to travel by Metro, which is the most obvious option of travelling to Gurgaon or to Delhi, there are some problems. The Metro runs for 7 km inside Gurgaon and has five stops and the daily ridership at HUDA City Centre Metro station is about 50,000. 

Now, of the 1.25 lakh-plus people rendered car-less by the odd-even formula, even if 1 lakh were to opt for the Metro, there is no way the Yellow Line will be able to handle the load. This also shows that the public transport facilities are not sufficient for the three fold population, which will leave their cars and opt for Metro rides.

Gurgaon, a city with some 15 lakh people, has only 390 buses, including 200 low-floor DTC buses. Of them, some 25 ply between Gurgaon and Delhi so, effectively only some 360-odd buses ply within the city. It will take a reasonable amount of time for more buses to be added.