Two hours amid maddening crowd

I waited for more than 15 minutes at Krishi Bhavan bus stop. Most buses, already overflowing with passengers, chose to give the crowded bus stop a miss.

Mode of Transport: Public bus
Journey time: Two hours

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5:15 pm: I waited for more than 15 minutes at Krishi Bhavan bus stop. Most buses, already overflowing with passengers, chose to give the crowded bus stop a miss.

Five minutes later, a less crowded 740 halted. The driver stopped only after a group of elderly women blocks his passage. I managed to squeeze through the maddening rush.

Once inside, there was more madness. The conductor kept shoving so he could stuff more passengers in. I bought a R10 ticket for Dhaula Kuan and the silent suffering began. Passengers stepped on each other’s feet, women haggled for seats.
5:40 pm: I reached Dhaula Kuan. This was where bus stops seemed to cease to exist. Buses stopped wherever their drivers could spot a gathering of commuters desperately looking for a ride.

I boarded a DTC bus without a number, a vague ‘Gurgaon’ in yellow letters proclaiming its destination. I found myself on the threshold of Mahipalpur only after half-an-hour’s ride.

The bus snaked its way through serpentine queues of stationary, bumper to bumper cars.
6:50 pm: After spending 40 minutes — 20 each at Udyog Vihar and Kendriya Vihar intersections — the bus dropped me at the Jaipur bypass which is a km from IFFCO Chowk.

I approached an improvised goods-cum-passenger carrier to ferry me to Huda City Centre. He was taking a break, the driver said. I asked a rickshaw to oblige. ‘Raining,’ he said. ‘Don’t drive in rain.’
7:10 pm: I walked on slushy pavements and reached my destination. After two hours of adventure, I wished I’d taken the Metro in the first place.