Gurugram’s public transit expansion stuck in second gear

Gurugram's public transit system has failed to keep up with its growing population. Expansion of metro network & city bus services have been stuck in limbo for yrs. A new entity, Gurugram Metro Rail Ltd, will be formed to implement 3 expansion projects. GMDA has 200 buses & 3,000 electric buses to be procured. Residents rely on autorickshaws & app-based cabs due to lack of reliable public transport. Expansion of public transport network is essential to meet growing demand. #Gurugram #PublicTransit #MetroNetwork #CityBus #ElectricBuses #Autorickshaws #App-basedCabs #Expansion #Reliable #Demand

The public transit system in Gurugram has failed to keep pace with its ever-growing resident as well as floating population, as plans to expand the metro network and city bus services have been stuck in limbo for several years.

Started in 2013, the 11-station-long Rapid Metro network has three major projects in the pipeline — a 28.5-km circular corridor from Millennium City Centre to Cyber City passing through Subhash Chowk and Old Railway Station, an 8.4-km corridor from Rezang La Chowk to Delhi’s Dwarka Sector 21 metro station, and a 30-km route from Vatika Chowk to Panchagon on NH-44.

The Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMCBL) — an entity with 50% stake owned by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) — started off with 25 non-AC low floor buses on a single route in 2018 and envisioned a fleet of 1,000 buses.

However, due to slow work on these two fronts, residents are dependent on autorickshaws as well as app-based cabs and bike taxis for inter-city travel.

On December 8, Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal — who is also the chairman of the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC), the nodal agency of Rapid Metro — said that a new entity, Gurugram Metro Rail Limited, would be formed. The entity would be a joint venture of the Centre and Haryana government and implement the three expansion projects, he had said, adding that wheels had been set in motion for the Millennium City Centre to Cyber City network.

“The 27-station network has an estimated cost of ₹5,452.72 crore. Processes for pre-construction activities, including geotechnical investigations and design consultations, have already been initiated,” Mr. Kaushal had said. However, a concrete timeline is yet to be drawn up.

For the Vatika Chowk-Panchgaon route, a detailed project report is being prepared, while an inception report was submitted on September 1. Officials have been directed to complete this by April 30, 2024, said the HMRTC chairman.