Anyone who has tried using public transport in Gurgaon,Haryana can attest to the fact that it is a frustrating and complicated system. It encourages people to buy and use their own vehicle, which only adds to the pollution and overcrowded roads.
Meet Ajay who commutes to his office in Udyog Vihar from Sector 43, a distance of 8 kms. His first challenge is to find a cycle-rickshaw to ferry him to his next transfer point. Finally, after paying Rs. 30 for a distance of 1 km,he then waits 15 minutes for a “16-in-6” seater, a larger auto where sixteen people are packed in a space meant for six! These autos only go up to IFFCO-Chowk, from where he then boards an overcrowded bus to Shankar-Chowk. He then has to transfer to another cyclerickshaw before he finally reaches his office. This entire ordeal takes 45 minutes, ignoring the possibility of major traffic-jams, which have already become the norm rather than an exception. There are thousands like Ajay who cannot afford a vehicle and have to go through these problems every day.
AID-Gurgaon has taken an initiative to reach out to the government and put them under pressure to improve the dismal situation. To start with, we have filed four RTI applications. We have held meetings with the administration – the Deputy Commissioner, the General Manager (Transport) and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to explain the situation and ask for answers, which have not been easy to get. Some of the earlier RTI applications resulted in responses like “This information is not concerned with this office”. We have also put an online petition which has been signed by 1351 people so far. Subsequently, we are also approaching the print and electronic media to take note of the situation and campaign. The February 2008 issue of the Civil Society magazine has published a story on this. You can read the full story at http://www.civilsocietyonline.com/feb08/feb090.asp
Please sign in the online petition at
http://petitions.aidindia.org/Gurgaon_PublicTransport/index.php
Sanchit Sharma, AID Gurgaon
