IGI Airport bus service leaves daily commuters stranded

The bus service between Gurgaon and the IGI Airport, which has failed to attract commuters after its December 7 launch, has adversely affected the local routes.

The bus service between Gurgaon and the IGI Airport, which has failed to attract commuters after its December 7 launch, has adversely affected the local routes.

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Several semi-low floor buses inducted on the IGI route were diverted from the busy intra-city service. As a result, at present, only two trips are available on the Sectors 56/57 route in the morning, against 40 trips a day earlier.

Locals say the airport service was launched at the cost of their comfort as they are now dependent select mini buses -privately-run, congested and crowded.

Only two semi low-floor buses are available in the morning to ferry passengers to Iffco Chowk. The private buses, commuters say, don't move till they are stuffed with passengers. Moreover, complaints regarding nuisance in the crowd and non-adherence to designated bus stops are common.

The affected residents, in the Sector 56/57 area, have been left in the lurch since other modes of transport, such as auto rickshaws, are not easily available. The auto drivers tend to overcharge or simply refuse passengers who need to go towards Sector56/57.

Commuters from other localities on this route, such as Suncity, Sector 54, DLF City Phase 1 and 5, Central Park, Saraswati Kunj and MG Road, are also bearing the brunt. The only relief for these residents is the availability of auto rickshaws.

"After I reached the bus stand from Chandigarh, I asked a policemen about the buses plying to Sector 57. He advised me to take an auto or taxi since the buses were only available in the morning. I waited for two hours and paid R350 to an auto driver to get home," said Rekha Singh, another resident.

The authorities, however, call it a temporary problem.

Yashender Singh, general manager of Haryana Roadways (Gurgaon), said they have sorted the problem. "We have not diverted all buses to the airport but only a few," he said.