Cabbies make the most of free Wi-Fi at Sector 18 bus stop

Noida got its first free Wi-Fi enabled bus stop at Sector 18 a week ago and since then, commuters and passersby have been happy waiting at or near the bus stop. One can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi for up to 20 minutes at the bus stop, which is the third such Wi-Fi bus shelter in NCR after Huda City Centre and Sector 14 in Gurgaon. But don't be surprised if you see more cabs waiting near the shelter instead of buses. Cabbies say that since they get many bookings from the TGIP Mall and other nearby malls, they are making good use of the free Wi-Fi at the shelter.

(BCCL/Lokesh Kashyap)

Raj Kumar, a cab driver who often ferries passengers from Sector 18, says, "A lot of people book cabs from this area, since there are several malls and restaurants nearby . Jab mujhe pata chala ki yahan free Wi-Fi hai, yahan pe aake wait karna shuru kar diya. Sahi time pass ho jata hai ."



Not just cab drivers, the number of auto and rickshaw wallahs waiting near the area has also increased. Pankaj, a rickshaw-puller, says, " Yeh Wi-Fi wallah area sahi banaya hai . Noida mein kahin free internet nahi milta . We can now easily download anything at this place." Shanu Kumar, another cab driver, says, "Ever since I was told that there is free Wi-Fi available, I prefer waiting here. Also, since this place is always crowded, booking milne mein aasani hoti hai ."

Commuters too don't mind waiting for their buses here, thanks to the free Wi-Fi (BCCL/Lokesh Kashyap)

Vineet Mahajan, a college student, says, "I had come to TGIP for shopping and saw this bus stop which says, 'free Wi-Fi available'. I turned my data off and booked a cab using the Wi-Fi connection. Pata chala woh cab driver bhi wahin khada tha . Choosing this area to make free Wi-Fi available was a good idea."