Delhi: metro feeder unlikely to ply by July

Delay and missing deadlines have become synonymous with the Delhi Metro’s ambitious plan to put in place a robust feeder system that will provide last-mile connectivity to commuters.

Delay and missing deadlines have become synonymous with the Delhi Metro’s ambitious plan to put in place a robust feeder system that will provide last-mile connectivity to commuters.

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Delhi Metro, after missing several deadlines, had in April finally set July as its target to start introducing 300 feeder buses in the city. However, the corporation is likely to miss the deadline again. Last month, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) on behalf of DMRC has approved the prototypes of the new buses, specifications of which were issued by the ministry of urban development.

“Procurement will start soon and hopefully all 400 non-AC buses - each with seating capacity of 26 people - will be operational within six months on all 89 routes approved by the transport department,” said an official of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

Rajdhani Coach Cluster Services Pvt. Ltd will operate 300 buses and another 100 buses would be run by Prasanna Purple Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Sources, however, said the process of procurement would take some time and operations will surely not start by July. Two manufacturers - TATA Motors and Ashok Leyland -- had shown their prototypes and got approvals.

The original idea of the bus service - to be procured in three clusters of 100 buses each - was to connect metro stations with residential colonies.

The buses were scheduled to hit the roads by November last year. The project got delayed and DMRC had set March 2013 as its new deadline, which it failed to meet.