STUDENTS FEEL SHORTCHANGED
Delhi Metro fare hikes this year burn a hole in the pockets of Delhi-NCR students
How much does it pinch if one has to pay `10 more per ride on Delhi Metro? The fare hike, which came into effect on Tuesday, looks moderate at first glance. But for those Delhi college-goers who take the Metro everywhere, this is a pain.
The students we spoke to ask why the Delhi Metro can’t have student passes, just as DTC buses have. “It used to cost me `40 to commute from South Delhi to the North Campus. After the two price hikes in Delhi Metro this year, I have to spend `100 on my daily travel. If the Metro fare increases every now and then in a year, then why not give student discounts? When college-goers used to travel [more] by bus, there was a bus pass; so why can’t we have the same for Delhi Metro,” says Anisha Joneja, a student of Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University.
Some students want to know what they’re getting in return for paying more. Vanika Malhotra, who goes to Amity University, Noida, from one part of East Delhi, points out the lack of clean toilets at Delhi Metro stations. “If I get better facilities, I don’t mind paying,” says Vanika. “[But] even in an emergency, I don’t use Metro station washrooms; they are so unhygienic!” She also dislikes the “poor crowdmanagement” at peak hours.
The Delhi Metro has made it possible for students to cut down on commute time. Now that they’re used to this, they can’t go back to sitting on a bus stuck in a jam. Samedha Arora, a student of Kalindi College, says, “We complain about hikes in prices of petrol and diesel, but it’s high time that we started debating over Delhi Metro fare hikes. Most DU colleges are linked via Metro — we can’t not take it. With the rise in fare, I think I’ll have to use up my pocket money for the canteen. I can’t afford a cab or auto daily!”
Many countries have discounted rates of Metro travel for students. Why is it that Delhi Metro doesn’t? RUSTAM MAZUMDAR, STUDENT, DELHI COLLEGE OF ARTS & COMMERCE