Hanging in there: Lifeline for many, this last-mile link is clear and present danger

New Delhi: Picture this: a three-wheeler with 13 people, packed so tightly that they're practically sitting on each other. One person is hanging precariously from the door. For the others, the tattered seats and missing rear gate make for a less-than-comfortable ride. And yet, this Gramin Sewa vehicle, and hundreds of others like it, zip unchallenged across the city every day.Last month, with the aim of promoting cleaner transportation, Delhi govt gave its nod for the replacement of Gramin Sewa vehicles, which run on a clean fuel like CNG, with electric alternatives. However, there are other bigger issues than these vehicles being non-electric that are yet to be addressed.
Originally launched in 2011, Gramin Sewa was intended as a para-transit service. These three-wheelers, designed to hold no more than six people, including the driver, are meant to provide transportation in rural areas, unauthorised resettlement colonies and slum clusters across the city. In practice, a Gramin Sewa is a traffic bane.
TOI took to the different Gramin Sewa routes and spoke with passengers and drivers. Some commuters vented their frustration, recalling the jams created by drivers randomly stopping on the roads to pick up passengers. Others acknowledged its affordability but insisted that the service needed an overhaul, especially about packing in passengers and putting their lives at risk.
Relying on Delhi govt's transport department website which has details of the Gramin Sewa map routes, the first trip TOI took was from Nehru Place to Kalka Public School. The route has five transit points — Kalkaji Main Road, CR Park 1, CR Park 2, NRI Market and Kalka Public School — but the drivers don't follow the prescribed route. "We don't get enough passengers on some routes, so we take a route based on the availability of passengers," explained a driver.
Kalpana and Priya, college students at Deshbandhu College, frequently use the Gramin Sewa. "We dread riding back home in the Gramin Sewa every day because we are forced to sit in cramped spaces with random people, and mostly men," said Priya with a grimace. "It is usually very crowded but because it's the cheapest mode of transport for short distances, we are forced to use it."
Another commuter waiting for a Gramin Sewa near Kalkaji market complained about the poorly maintained three wheelers. "One can identify a Gramin Sewa from a distance by its poor condition. The headlight or rear lights are broken and paint chipped. Inside it's worse with the seats torn, no gates for safety and, of course, constantly overcrowded."
The vehicle is not only a discomfort for passengers but also a "nuisance" for others. Car drivers, two-wheeler riders and pedestrians need to keep a sharp eye out for these. They drive rashly, stop anywhere and park in a way to obstruct traffic. Outside Laxmi Nagar metro station, one saw Gramin Sewa vehicles queued up on the road. "Unless one picks up at least 10 people, it does not leave the spot. Despite this, it will stop en route anywhere to take on more passengers or to drop them," grumbled a commuter.
According to the regulations, the Gramin Sewa owner has to meet regulations such as seating a maximum of six people, plying on specific allowed routes and constant use of GPS, first-aid box and fire extinguisher. The vehicle has to be painted white with 75mm stripes in light blue and green in the middle. ‘Gramin Sewa' has to be inscribed between the stripes and the rear has to mention the name, address and telephone number of the permit holder alongside the helpline number of the transport department. Delhi Traffic Police and the regional transport offices are responsible for regulation enforcement.
However, due to lack of checks, the vehicles flout these permit conditions. A regular rider, a furniture store employee in Laxmi Nagar, said, "I have ridden a Gramin Sewa for many years to work from my house in Mother Dairy, but never seen them meeting any of the conditions for their permit. They are always tutti-puti (in poor shape). It is affordable so it mostly caters to certain economic classes and so there is no care about their safety."
The minimum fare for Gramin Sewa is Rs 5 per person for the first 3km, Rs 10 for up to 7km and Rs 15 above 7km. There are 6,153 Gramin Sewa vehicles operating on 166 routes that are authorised by the regional transport authority, but many others are believed to be running illegally. Together, they ferry around 80,000 Delhiites every day.