Back when Blueline buses were still running on Delhi roads, it was not uncommon to witness a very kind gesture by the conductors and drivers during the month of Ramadan— they would keep dates and cold water handy to distribute among those observing the fast in case of sunset during the journey.
The same seems to have caught on with some DTC and auto drivers during this festive season. The practice is more prevalent among those who start work from areas with high Muslim population, and those who are aware that some few of their commuters could be Muslims observing a fast.
Interestingly, if they discover that the commuter is fasting, they don’t drink or eat in front of them till the passenger has been dropped off to his/her destination. And in case the sun sets during the travel, not only do they offer dates and water to the rozedar , but also stop the vehicle to allow passengers have their iftar in peace.
This gesture is even more common among auto drivers, who are usually in a hurry to drop people off. Moreover, when a rozedar tells an auto driver that he/she has to reach home fast for iftar , they speed up.
Notably, sometimes commuters in buses also offer water, biscuits, fruits, etc., to those observing fast for iftar . Now who says goodness is hard to find in Delhi?
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The Connaught Place in the Capital is supposed to be one of the costliest commercial spaces in the world. Its branded showrooms, coffee houses, gyms, pubs and restaurants have many citizens flocking the area to have a good time.
What they have to put up with are vagabonds and beggars, who are not just annoying, but sometimes even violent.
Many of these vagabonds are drunk and a man lying on the road in front of a store that has mannequins wearing clothes worth a few thousands is not an uncommon sight.
Having your things snatched, especially eatables, is another constant.
Tourists are often harassed, but nobody seems to be doing anything about this immediate problem that has become part and parcel of the iconic landmark.
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The road leading to Chattarpur metro station from Vasant Kunj side has been in a bad shape for a long time now. Full of potholes, it is seemingly made of just mud and rocks.
The metro has no doubt made travel comfortable and fast, but this “commuter friendly” mode of transport is suffering due to civic authorities not doing their work with equal zeal.
Even feeder buses, auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws or cycle rickshaws, which provide the last mile connectivity to metro commuters, come nowhere close to matching the high standards set by the metro.
We can have a truly world class transport system only when civic authorities up their game.
