After a successful first phase of odd-even vehicle rationing in January, the Delhi government is set to kick-start phase two from Friday. While there are a few locals who are not very enthusiastic, the majority is upbeat on the scheme.
Also gearing up are several tech-based transport service providers like Shuttl, iUNIR and Jugnoo. Besides, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) are also ramping up their services.
DTC, which caters to about 35 lakh passengers daily, plans to run over 900 extra buses — 600 private hired buses and 300 from its own fleet. It has selected 16 routes based on passenger rush, where it will increase frequency. DTC will also be running 15 smaller buses as last-mile connectivity to metro stations, DTC spokesperson RS Minhas said.
The total number of buses deployed by DTC will be less this time as the school buses that were available during the first phase are not available this time.
Shuttl, with a fleet of over 500 buses, is now running on more than double the routes since the first phase. “In the first phase Shuttl was running on over 50 routes with 10,000 rides daily, whereas currently we are running on over 100 routes. We are adding 30 more routes,” co-founder Amit Singh told BusinessLine .
Unlike app-based, on-demand cab services models, Shuttl does not hike its charges during peak hours, said Singh. It has buses with capacity from 12 to 40, and fares ranging from ₹20 to ₹180.
Vehicle pooling Also on the rise are vehicle pooling apps. Sandeep Kumar, co-founder of iUNIR, which launched its services last week, calls the firm India’s first ever pooling app to provide sharing for bike owners and auto commuters.
The app allows users to connect through social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn so that they learn more about those who are sharing the ride.
The prices are pre-defined, and the conveyance charges are not charged during the introductory phase, he said. iUNIR has 101 registered users, mostly for car-pooling.
Jugnoo, a Chandigarh-based mobile app, offers auto-rickshaws in which 30,000 people transact daily. It is adding around 1,000 more to its network in Delhi.
“With the odd- even period approaching, our app downloads have already increased around 20 per cent,” said CEO Samar Singla. The company has more than 9,000 autos empanelled at present. It witnessed a three-fold increase in demand in the first phase of the odd-even campaign.
Hero Electric is deploying 100 e-bikes in Delhi University (North Campus) and Rajiv Chowk. Delhiites can book their free e-bike ride through the DOT app whereas NDMC has given Hero Electric approval to station these bikes in all their parking areas.
Meanwhile, bike-charging facilities will be provided by Tata Power at all the major metro stations along with charging and parking facilities in their substation.
Additional trips DMRC, which carries 28 lakh passengers on an average, will deploy 200 more trains to run 3,248 trips, up 56 trips. It will also deploy an additional 15 buses for connecting metro stations, said a release.
On-demand bike taxi company Baxi, currently operating in Gurgaon and Faridabad, will launch its ride-sharing service in the Capital on Friday.
Baxi co-founder Ashutosh Johri said: “Bikes are the most efficient mode of personal commute in any city that is on the move. This will be an optimal solution to reduce congestion and pollution on the road during odd-even as a number of people currently commute to work alone.” A typical Baxi ‘buddy’ (driver), who does 15-20 trips a day, can earn close to ₹20,000 per month, it added.
(Inputs from Navadha Pandey, S Ronendra Singh, Aesha Datta)