Delhi City Guide - Getting Around

Three phases of Delhi's excellent underground metro are now in operation: Shahdara-Rithala, Vishwa Vidalaya-Central Secretariat, and Dwarka-Barakambha Road. The remaining phases are expected to be completed by around 2010. The system is technologically very advanced: fare collection, for example, is done using ‘smart' cards and tokens. The metro is expected to reduce the dependence of Delhi's population on the car, reduce average commuting times by three-quarters and significantly cut pollution. 

There are also several schemes underway to improve the flow of traffic in the city, the most significant of which is the construction of flyovers. Around a dozen flyovers have now been completed, while several dozen others are at various stages of the planning process. However, Delhi remains addicted to the car (the number of vehicles registered in the city is a staggering 1.3 million and forecast to increase by around 7 to 8% per annum) and congestion, noise and pollution are an ongoing problem.

There are public buses in Delhi (all now converted to CNG or compressed natural gas), although finding a seat on the mostly decrepit vehicles is quite an undertaking due to the sheer number of passengers. The Delhi Transport Corporation (tel: (011) 2386 5181; website: http://dtc.nic.in) operates a centralised bus network which covers numerous routes within Delhi as well as interstate routes. Within Delhi, there are more than 700 routes serviced by over 3,000 buses. DTC also runs daily morning and afternoon sightseeing tours which take in the principal attractions of the city (see website for further information). There is a row of seats on the left of each bus reserved for women, although this rule is observed only on a whim.

The easiest way to get around the city is by taxi or auto-rickshaw (see below). Over recent years, the government, in an attempt to tackle the city's air pollution, has forced taxis and auto-rickshaws to convert from petrol to CNG. This has made a statistical impact (Delhi has now moved below Mumbai and Kolkata (Calcutta) in the list of India's most polluted cities) and the areas around even the busiest roads do now feel less polluted.

Rickshaws
Auto-rickshaws are open-sided, motorised tricycles, which weave in and out of Delhi's thick traffic and can be stopped pretty much anywhere in the city. Visitors should be prepared for an uncomfortable ride as they lurch over the bumps and potholes of Delhi's roads, at the same level as the exhaust pipes of most lorries and buses. Four- and six-seater motorcycle rickshaws are also available, which run fixed routes at fixed prices, including the route between the Red Fort (Old Delhi) and Palika Bazaar at Connaught Place. In Old Delhi, bicycle rickshaws are useful for short distances, although the government is planning to phase them out by 2010 in a bid to solve escalating congestion problems. Fares should always be negotiated at the start of the journey. Tipping is optional but especially encouraged for bicycle rickshaw drivers; 10% of the fare is the usual starting point.

Yellow and black Ambassador taxis are readily available, especially at local taxi stands, where taxis can be booked and prices fixed in advance. Taxis can also be booked through hotels. Drivers do not usually expect tips unless they have gone to some trouble on their passenger's behalf. There is a 25% surcharge between 2300 and 0500. Like auto-rickshaws, there are official rates for taxis but metered prices are generally subject to high surcharges and are at least twice as expensive as auto-rickshaws. Fares should be negotiated at the start of the journey as even those taxis that have meters can be misleading.

Driving in Delhi takes a certain degree of steeliness. The broad boulevards of New Delhi pose few potential hazards. However, negotiating the vehicular chaos that is Old Delhi can test the skills of the most able driver, as bicycles and rickshaws career through the choking traffic of buses, trucks and cars, not to mention ox carts, lone wandering cows, goats and even the occasional elephant. Road travel is also subject to the vagaries of VIPs, of which India has an astonishing number, with roads frequently closed for ‘VIP movement'. Night driving can be particularly dangerous, with streets and cars lit only sporadically. Car parks are few and far between and, in general, driving oneself around the city is not recommended.

Service providers include Avis (tel: (011) 5539 7112; website: www.avis.com), located at the Oberoi Hotel and Hertz (tel: (011) 2412 1496; website: www.hertz.com) at Chankyapuri. Most major hotels can also arrange car hire on the visitor's behalf. An International Driving Permit is essential for driving in India and in most cases the driver must be 25 years or over. Third party insurance is required by law.

Cycling in New Delhi can take some courage but it is a good way of getting around the wide boulevards, which are fairly uncrowded and in relatively good condition. Bicycle hire in Delhi is surprisingly hard to come by - ask at your hotel, or at the Jhandewalan Cycle Market which is located several kilometres northwest of Paharganj.

Lovers of vintage motorcycles come to India to indulge a penchant for its locally built Enfields. The reputable Inder Motors, on Hari Singh Nalwa Street in Karol Bagh (tel: (011) 2572 8579; website: www.lallisingh.com), has new and second-hand Enfields for hire and sale.