Urban Crayon
Page 24
>Sarai Kale Khan
Tel: 011 2435 8092
>Anand Vihar
Tel: 011 2215 2431
Some important road distances (from Delhi)
Agra 203 kms
Almora 373 kms
Amritsar 447 kms
Bharatpur 190 kms
Chandigarh 238 kms
Jaipur 258 kms
Local buses
One of the cheapest modes of transport in Delhi is the local buses. The city boasts of one of the largest bus transportation systems in India. Almost all the buses in Delhi are owned either by the state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) or the private contractors which have over 3,100 buses plying the city. There are different categories of fares ranging in cost from Rs 3 depending on distance and route. Buy a bus pass and save up to Rs 300 on the fare. Passes can be purchased online at www.dtc.nic.in/dt3.htm. DTC also operates daily sight seeing tours from Scindia House. The fare of Delhi Darshan Service is Rs 100. The fare is half price for children between the ages of 5 to 12. Stops on the tour include Red Fort, Raj Ghat, Indira Gandhi Smriti, Qutab Minar, Lotus Temple, National Rail Museum and Birla Mandir (Shri Laxmi Narayan Temple). Tickets for low-floor red AC buses are between Rs 10 to 25, depending on the distance travelled.
>Tel: 011 2435 1763; 97181 90047
Taxis
Taxis are easily available for hire. The taxis are mostly operated by DTC, the Indian Tourism Ministry and various private operators. They are available both for local commuting as well as long-distance purposes. However, one has to go to the taxi stand or telephone a taxi service provider for hiring them. Also, taxis are a slightly expensive mode of transportation in Delhi. Prepaid taxis and autos are available from the airport, both domestic and international (arrivals), all railway stations and bus terminals and other important places. Beware of unlicensed drivers due to safety reasons and monetary reasons, as the price quoted is likely not to be the price you will end up paying by the end of the journey. Go to an official taxi stand. Make sure you get a receipt.
Always take a pre-paid coupon from inside the terminal. IGI Airport has counters for both radio taxis and pre-paid taxis. Pre-paid taxis line up outside the international and domestic terminals. Stand in line and take the taxi allotted to you. Note the license number. Make a point of calling someone once you are on your way to let them know you are on the way, noting the license number to the person on the other end of the phone. Make a pretend phone call for safety sake if no one is at your destination. Never share a taxi with strangers. A number to remember for the police is 100.
>Tel: 98114 52220; 011 2301 0101 (Delhi Traffic Police complaint centre)
Web: www.delhitrafficpolice.nic.in/tourist-police.htm
At the airport
Avis
Tel: 011 2390 6259
Web: www.avis.com
Easy Cabs
Tel: 011 4343 4343
Web: www.easycabs.com for reservations online
Independent taxi companies
Carzonrent
A subsidiary of global car rental firm Hertz. Local usage packages are flexible and allow the use of the car for any number of hours or kms. They come in 1hr/10km multiples and 4 hr/40km, 8hr/80 km etc. Renters can choose the self drive or chauffeur driven options, or just an airport transfer.
Cab route: Entire Delhi and NCR; interstate travel available
Tel: 011 4184 1212
Web: www.carzonrent.com
Cost: From about Rs 375
Delhi Cabs
Cab route: Delhi and NCR
Tel: 011 4433 3222
Web: www.radiotaxi.in
Delhi Cab Helpline
Cab route: Delhi and NCR
Tel: 011 4433 3222
Dial-a-Cab
Cab route: Entire Delhi and NCR (commercial vehicle tax extra in Uttar Pradesh)
Tel: 011 2981 3600
Easy Cabs
Radio taxi service operated by Hertz
Cab route: Delhi and NCR
Tel: 011 4343 4343
Web: www.easycabs.com
Mega Cabs
Cab route: Delhi and NCR, including Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad
Tel: 011 4141 4141
Web: www.megacabs.com
Meru Cabs
Cab route: Delhi and NCR
Tel: 011 4422 4422
Web: www.merucabs.com
Orix Cabs aka Delhi Cab
Tel: 011 4562 8200 / 011 2591 7441 for New Delhi; 95124 3014700 for Gurgaon
Web: www.orixindia.com/radiotaxi.aspx
Quick Cabs
Cab route: Delhi and NCR
Tel: 011 4533 3333
Web: www.quickcabs.in
Routes Dial a Cab
Cab route: Delhi and NCR
Tel: 011 4440 4440
Smaart Cab
Mercedes, BMWs, Hondas among fleet of taxis if you want something more upscale.
Cab Route: Delhi, NCR, countrywide
Tel: 011 4647 4647
Web: www.smaartcabs.com
Black and yellow taxis
They are metred. Ensure the metre is turned back before starting the trip. There is a surcharge over the metre and you are advised to check the rate list available from the driver before payment. There are plenty of metred yellow-and-black taxis, but invariably the metres are out of date, not working or the drivers will simply refuse to use them. If this happens, hail another taxi and don’t forget to negotiate a fare before the taxi starts moving.
Commuters using the Metro will also be able to use radio taxis that can be hired from kiosks at over 25 Metro stations. These include Rithala, Pitampura, Netaji Subhash Place, Inderlok, Pratap Nagar, Welcome, Shahdara and Dilshad Garden Metro stations on Line 1; Vishwavidyalaya, Kashmere Gate, New Delhi, Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat stations on Line 2; Indraprastha, Pragati Maidan, Jhandewalan, Rajendra Place, Moti Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri (West), Uttam Nagar (East), Dwarka, Dwarka Sector 10 and Dwarka Sector 9 Metro stations on Line 3. Commuters can book their taxis at the prepaid booths. These taxis will help commuters reach South Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and the airport.
Auto rickshaws
Auto rickshaws fall in between taxis and buses. They are more expensive than buses but cheaper then taxis. Also, they are easily available as they can be flagged from the road. However, one has to be careful while hiring autos. This is because most of the auto drivers refuse to ply by the metre. If this happens, one should bargain a little and fix fare in advance, before hiring the auto.
Cycle rickshaws
Cheaper than auto rickshaws, these human powered vehicles are great for short trips when you just don’t feel like walking. It can comfortably seat 2 adults and 2 small children on a lap, though it won’t make the driver happy. A family of 4 with 2 adults and 2 children can take 2 cycle rickshaws. Prices range from Rs 5 or 10 for short hauls. Solar-powered rickshaws, dubbed ‘soleckshaws’, were introduced in late 2008. Powered by solar energy and pedals, they are designed to take the physical burden off the driver. Soleckshaws can obtain a speed of 15 km per hour and come equipped with FM radios, so you can sing along to your favourite Bollywood song along the way to your destination.
Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro is convenient and has greatly reduced the number of cars on the roads as more and more commuters have started taking the Metro. The Metro trains run from 6 am until about 11 pm. The Metro still has not reached all over Delhi, but it is under construction and some of the routes have been completed and are already operational. Visit www.delhimetrorail. com for more information. The Metro is operational on 3 lines. Take a look around the stations as some stations have information plaques about nearby monuments. For instance, the Jor Bagh station has information on nearby Safdarjung Tomb and Lodhi Garden. The gold star station is the Kashmere Gate station which is a junction for the Red and Yellow lines. The multi-level station has 65,000 square feet
of retail space which boasts restaurants and retail outlets. There’s a Dominos, Nirula’s, McDonald’s and Govardhan, all open from 11 am to 11 pm. Kashmere Gate also serves as the Headquarters for the Delhi Metro.
Line 2 gets you to the Old Delhi (Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid) and New Delhi railway stations, the ISBT bus terminal and Paharganj. Fares range from Rs 6 to Rs 22. More value for the money if you’re planning on being in Delhi for a while is a ‘Smart Card’. It can be bought for Rs 100, which is worth Rs 50 and includes a Rs 50 deposit. You can add more to the card as the money is depleted. There is also a ‘Tourist Card’ allowing unlimited use for Rs 70 a day. This card is good if you plan to stick to one area of the city, dropping off and coming back on the train.
Line 3 takes you to Karol Bagh. The Karol Bagh Metro station is located at the intersection of Pusa Road and Ajmal Khan Road. The RK Ashram Marg station is useful for reaching the western parts of Paharganj. Many stations on Line 3 are not marked on most tourist maps as the line has only recently been opened. It is very important to note that Metro stations all use the new Indian names, so Connaught Place is Rajiv Chowk, Old Delhi Railway Station is Chandni Chowk and ISBT is Kashmere Gate.
Delhi Metro Line One
Shahdara–Rithala
No. of stations: 21
Names of stations: Dilshad Garden, Jhilmil, Mansarovar Park, Shahdara, Welcome, Seelampur, Shastri Park, Kashmere Gate, Tis Hazari, Pul Bangash, Pratap Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Inderlok, Kanhaiya Nagar, Keshav Puram, Netaji Subhash Place, Kohat Enclave, Pitampura, Rohini East, Rohini West and Rithala.
Delhi Metro Line Two
Vishwa Vidyalaya–Central Secretariat
No. of stations: 10
Names of Stations: Vishwa Vidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha, Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Delhi Main, Chawri Bazaar, New Delhi, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat.
Delhi Metro Line Three
Yamuna Bank–Barakhamba Road–Dwarka
No. of stations: 32
Names of stations:
Yamuna Bank, Indraprastha, Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk, RK Ashram Marg, Jhandewalan, Karol Bagh, Rajendra Place, Patel Nagar, Shadipur, Kirti Nagar, Moti Nagar, Ramesh Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tagore Garden, Subhash Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri East, Janakpuri West, Uttam Nagar East, Uttam Nagar West, Nawada, Dwarka Morh, Dwarka, Dwarka Sector 14, Dwarka Sector 13, Dwarka Sector 12, Dwarka Sector 11, Dwarka Sector 10 and Dwarka Sector 9.
The Metro runs from 6 am and the last train leaves the station at 10 pm. During the rush hours, the frequency of trains is set at 4 minutes. Call 128128 for assistance, queries and complaints. As the system expands, plans are under way for the New Delhi Metro Rail system to cover not only most parts of Delhi, but also cross the borders of Delhi joining Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon.
Airport
Delhi Metro’s New Delhi–Indira Gandhi International Airport express link might be the first service to operate round the clock. The high-speed link transports passengers from New Delhi Railway to the airport in just 18 minutes. It is expected to pick up hours after midnight to cater to passengers taking international flights. Passengers would be able to reach Dwarka in 24 minutes. There are 6 stations on the line: New Delhi Railway Station, Shivaji Stadium, Dhaula Kuan, NH 8, IGI Airport and Dwarka Sector 21. Baggage check-in will be available at the New Delhi Railway Station and Shivaji Stadium. The train will stop for 2–4 minutes at each station. Parking will be available at all of the stations except IGI Airport. The fare is expected to be around Rs 100.
Local trains
Local trains consist of one of the cheapest means and modes of transport in Delhi. Both inter-state as well as intra-state trains ply from various railway stations in Delhi. Commuting by trains is quite time saving. The major railway stations in the capital city are Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Okhla, Pragati Maidan, Shahdara, Shakur Basti and Tilak Bridge. There are numerous other small stations in Delhi for local commuting purposes.
Emergency Care
Indira Gandhi International Airport
The Indira Gandhi International Airport has selected Indraprastha Apollo Hospital to provide medical facilities for its passengers and employees. Apollo provides an emergency ambulance service and runs a 24-hour pharmacy. The hospital runs 2 medical centres with 4 beds each, one at Terminal IC (domestic arrival) and the other at Terminal II. Terminal lA and the cargo terminal has one bed each, with all basic first aid and stabilizing equipment.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
>Ansari Nagar (near Safdarjung Hospital)
Tel: 011 2658 8500
Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre
>Okhla Road
Tel: 011 2682 5000/1/2/3
Emergency: 011 2682 5002/3
Web: www.ehirc.com
Fortis Hospital
>Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Pocket 1, Vasant Kunj, Sector B (Near GD Goenka School)
Tel: 011 4277 6221/2
Emergency: 011 2692 7000
Web: www.fortishealthcare.com
Ganga Ram Hospital
>Rajinder Nagar
Tel: 011 2573 5205; 011 2586 1463
Web: www.sgrh.com
Holy Family Hospital
>Okhla Road, Jamia Nagar (opposite Escort Heart Hospital)
Tel: 011 2615 5050; 011 2656 6338
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital
>Sarita Vihar, Delhi–Mathura Road
Tel: 011 2692 5858; 011 2692 5801
Emergency: 011 2682 5555
Web: www.apollohospdelhi.com
Max Balaji Hospital
>108-A, Indraprastha Extension, Patparganj
Tel: 011 4303 3333
Max Devi Devki Heart and Vascular Institute
>2 Press Enclave Road, Saket
Tel: 011 2651 5050
Max Hospital
>A-364, Sector 19, Noida
Tel: 0120 254 9999
Max Hospital Gurgaon
>B Block, Sushant Lok I, Gurgaon
Tel: 0124 662 3000
Max Hospital Pitampura
>Near N Tower, Pitampura Wazirpur District Centre
Tel: 011 2735 1844
Max Medicentre
>Chain of hospitals including 3 in South Delhi
Emergency: 011 4055 4055
Web: www.maxhealthcare.in
Max Superspeciality Hospital
>1 Press Enclave Road, Saket
Tel: 011 6611 5050
Other Hospitals
Aashlok Hospital
>25-A, Block AB, Community Centre
Safdarjung Enclave
Tel: 011 2616 5861/2
Batra Hospital And Medical Research Centre
>1 Mehrauli Badarpur Road, Tughlaqabad Institutional Area
Tel: 011 2995 8747
East–West Medical Centre
>The facility is good for arranging unusual emergency services and referrals.
B-28 Greater Kailash I
Tel: 011 2924 3701/2/3
Web: www.eastwestrescue.com
Holy Angels Hospital
>Plot D, Basant Lok Community Centre, Vasant Vihar
Tel: 011 2614 1229
Mohinder Hospital
>C-5 Green Park Extension
Tel: 011 2685 2880
Moolchand Hospital
>Lajpat Nagar III, near Moolchand flyover
Tel: 011 5200 0000
Private Hospital
>DLF Qutab Enclave, Phase II Gurgaon
Tel: 95124 235 2097; 95124 235 1162
Rockland Hospital
>B-33/34 Qutab Institutional Area, Tara Crescent Road
Tel: 011 5122 2222; 011 5168 8752
Web: www.rocklandhospital.com
Safdarjung Hospital
>Safdarjung Enclave
Tel: 011 2616 8336
St Stephen’s Hospital
>Tis Hazari
Tel: 011 2396 6024
Vasant Lok Hospital
>Basant Lok Communi
ty Centre, Vasant Vihar
Tel: 011 2614 2730; 011 2614 9422
24-hour Chemist Shops
Apollo Cliniq
>Sector B Pocket 7 Bldg 1, Vasant Kunj
Tel: 011 2613 4810, ext 405
Bharatiya Pharmacy
>8-A Central Market, Lajpat Nagar
Tel: 011 2683 3855
Ellianz Chemist
>Greater Kailash II
Tel: 011 4163 7337
Holy Angels Hospital
>Plot D, Basant Lok Community Centre, Vasant Vihar
Tel: 011 2614 1229
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital
>Sarita Vihar, Delhi Mathura Road
Tel: 011 2692 5858; 011 2692 5801
Max Medicentre
>Main Road, Saket
Tel: 011 2615 5050; 011 2656 6338
Web: www.maxhealthcare.in
Mohinder Hospital
>C-5 Green Park Extension
Tel: 011 2685 2880/81
Vasant Lok Hospital
>Basant Lok Community Centre, Vasant Vihar
Tel: 011 2614 2730; 011 2614 9422
INDEX
By ‘Useful’ Category
Critters, Big and Small
Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary 9–10
Badhkal Lake 12–13, 38, 120
Horse riding 15–16, 75–6
Delhi National Zoological Park 10–11
Delhi Ridge 11
Okhla Bird Sanctuary 12