Lok Sabha passes bill to extend Metro to NCR

The Lok Sabha Thursday passed a bill to help extend the Delhi Metro rail service to the national capital region (NCR), including the satellite towns of Noida and Gurgaon.

Moving the Metro Railways (Amendment) Bill that was unanimously passed, Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said it was necessary that legal cover be accorded to constructing, maintaining and operating the rail services in Noida and Gurgaon, work for which is at an advanced stage.

"It is also important in view of the Commonwealth Games in October 2010, while the Metro service in Noida is scheduled to be commissioned by Aug 30, 2009," he said.

The bill seeks to amend the Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act, 1978, and the Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002. The legislation is being amended to extend the legal purview of the Metro service to other states with Noida and Gurgaon falling in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana respectively.

The earlier law permitted the operation of the rail only within Delhi and not the NCR. There is a huge volume of traffic commuting between Delhi and its satellite towns everyday.

An estimated 800,000 people commute by the Delhi Metro daily.

Thanking the opposition for allowing the bill to be passed unanimously, Reddy said: "This bill is intended to usher in a Metro revolution."

Similarly, the legislation would also help provide legal cover for Metro services in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kochi and Mumbai that are under various stages of consideration.

To many members who demanded that the Metro rail be introduced in other states also, Reddy said: "The initiative should come from the states and the government is willing to organise 50 percent of the equity."

He said some states had also adopted public-private partnership model and cited the instances of Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Speaking during the discussion on the bill, some members expressed concern over recent accidents at Metro construction sites, one of which claimed six lives in Delhi.

Reddy said the government was looking into it, but "we are not doing very badly" on construction sites. "We are way ahead than Singapore and just a little behind London," he said.

Delhi Metro revenue surges on highest ridership

Nearly one million people travelled by Delhi Metro Tuesday, the highest for the mass transit system so far, which helped the corporation to earn a whopping Rs.12.4 million from ticket sales in one single day, officials said Wednesday.

"The Delhi Metro has achieved another milestone, recording its highest-ever ridership of almost 10 lakh passengers on a single day and earning the maximum revenue on consecutive days," Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal said.

The Delhi Metro's previous highest single-day ridership of 953,000 was recorded on Nov 24 last year during the India International Trade Fair. In July 2009, the average daily ridership was 837,000, which is the maximum so far in any month.

The number of commuters who used the Delhi Metro Aug 4, 2009, stood at 992,000 while the revenue was Rs.12.4 million. On Monday, the ridership was 926,000 and the revenue collected was Rs.12.5 million.

"This is the highest revenue earning so far since the Metro became operational on 25th December, 2002," Dayal added.

The Metro's Line-3 (Yamuna Bank-Dwarka Sec.9) had the maximum ridership at 396,000, followed by Line-1 (Dilshad Garden-Rithala) at 305,000, and Line-2 (Jahangirpuri-Central Secretariat) at 289,000 Tuesday.

The Delhi Metro had made arrangements for 60 extra train trips and has deployed additional personnel Wednesday to meet extra passengers on Raksha Bandhan.

Though the number of passengers who travelled by the Metro Wednesday can only be known Thursday, Dayal said the stations which witnessed the heavy rush were Yamuna Bank, Rajiv Chowk, Jahangirpuri, Shahdara, Seelampur, Dilshad Garden, Dwarka Mor and Uttam Nagar (East).

Metro accidents happened due to unskilled labour

Lack of skilled labour may have contributed to the recent accidents at Delhi Metro construction sites that claimed seven lives, a senior government official said here Friday.

"The real crisis is that enough number workers with right skills are not available in the construction industry. Unskilled labourers may have been responsible for the incidents at the construction sites of Delhi Metro," said Ajay Shankar, secretary at the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

He was speaking at a conference of industry department officials from states organised by the PHD Chambers.

DIPP is a central government agency that assists entrepreneurs and industrial promoters in setting up new ventures.

There were three accidents in less than two weeks at various construction sites of the Delhi Metro.

Shankar called for unique identification professional cards for skilled labourers.

The conference emphasised the need to create better infrastructure and said giving tax holidays would not help industries.

"We need concrete policy for industrial development for attracting new investments. Tax holiday does not help the industry in a long run," said Satish Bagrodia, president of the PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Delhi Metro and Citibank Launch Co-Branded Transit Credit Card

-- Pioneering initiative enables ‘tap and go’ entry into Metro stations using this Credit card

-- Reward points earned on card convertible to free Metro miles

-- Discounts on shopping, restaurants, movie tickets, beauty treatments and more

Citibank India and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today announced the launch of India’s first co-branded, ‘2-in-1’ transit credit card, the Delhi Metro Citibank Credit Card. The first of its kind in India, the card combines the benefits of a Metro Smart Card with the advantages of a Citibank Credit Card, and will be available to customers from today.

This new product is a pioneering initiative introduced by DMRC and Citibank India, to offer enhanced value and convenience to Delhi’s residents. In addition to the exciting features of a Citibank credit card and the existing Metro Smart card, the Delhi Metro Citibank Credit Card is also unique in several other ways. The reward points accumulated on this card can be redeemed for free Metro rides, at the Citibank point-of-sale terminals, presently installed at Rajeev Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Barakhamba, Pitampura, Rajouri Garden and Dwarka Mor Metro Stations and soon to spread across other stations as well. Additionally, it offers double reward points for Metro spending and will not require the mandatory security deposit of Rs 50.

It is India’s first credit card that doubles as a contact-less access card for the Delhi Metro stations, allowing customers “tap and go” entry into DMRC stations. In addition to convenience, the Delhi Metro Citibank Credit card will offer several benefits, including exclusive shopping deals and discounts in Delhi and the NCR, fuel surcharge waivers at Indian Oil outlets and other privileges associated with a Citibank Credit Card. The special “Delhi Delights” feature of this card offers unique deals from some of the biggest brands in Delhi, including Dominos, Fun Cinemas, Nirula’s, Bercos, India Today and VLCC.

Launching the Delhi Metro Citibank Credit Card, Mr. Surath Chatterjee, Regional Head of Card Products, Citi Asia Pacific said; “As a global leader in the credit cards business, Citi has come to be known for its innovative card and banking products, internationally and across the Asia Pacific region. Citi has successfully launched similar products in New York and Singapore, both of which have been extremely well received. We expect to launch similar products in more countries in the next few months. This is a great product for our customers and it really helps them in their daily lives. We have worked closely with the DMRC to develop a customised offering for the Indian market and are sure that this product will be a success in India. With the launch of this unique transit credit card, Citi continues its tradition of pioneering innovations in Asia”.

Commenting on the partnership with Citi, DMRC Director, Operations, Mr. Raj Kumar added: “DMRC is always looking to improve the transit customer’s experience and we are delighted to partner with Citibank, to launch this unique offering. We believe this product is the next step in providing our travellers unmatched convenience and reduced waiting times by combining an efficient payment mechanism with the Metro experience.”

Also speaking on the occasion, Mr. P. S. Jayakumar, Country Business Manager, Global Consumer Group, Citi India, said: “By pioneering co-branding in India, Citibank has brought unmatched value to customers by partnering with the best organisations in their industries. We are delighted to partner with DMRC, which has made Metro the preferred mode of travelling in Delhi. With its innovative practices and strong customer focus, DMRC continues to drive change in the field of mass rapid transportation. As the Metro extends its operations further into Delhi and NCR, and with the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010, the Delhi Metro Citibank Credit Card will fulfil the need of a world-class product for hassle free travel and shopping. Citibank is happy to leverage its global expertise in the transit segment, to bring world-class products to the customers of Delhi.”

Special Privileges on the Delhi Metro Citibank Credit Card:

Privileges on the ‘2-in-1’ Delhi Metro Citibank Credit Card

-- 10 per cent discount on travel fare paid with the ‘2-in-1’ card

-- 2 Reward Points for every Rs.100 spent on the Metro, 1 Reward Point for every Rs 100 spent elsewhere

-- Facility for converting all Reward Points into Metro Points for Free Metro Rides (at the POS terminal itself)

-- An International Credit Card: accepted at over 14 million merchant outlets, in association with Visa international, across the world

-- 2.5 per cent surcharge waiver on IOC petrol pumps

-- Access to 24 hr CitiPhone Banking services

-- Five free lifetime add-on cards

-- Delhi Delights – offers from the best brands of Delhi

About Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

The Delhi Metro began operations in Delhi in 2002. The first phase of the Metro Rail covers over 65 kms in Delhi. The Phase II of the project, which extends to South Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurgaon will be completed by 2010 and will cover about 125 kms. DMRC is also one of the only three Metros in the world, which started making operational profits from day one. The Metro is also an eco-friendly, zero-emission mode of transportation.

Currently there are 0.65 million commuters travelling daily on the Metro Rail. The ridership is expected to reach a two million by 2010 as the network expands to cover South Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region).

About Citi

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citi's trademark red arc include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com