The Delhi Government has already planned to initiate the odd-even formula to reduce pollution in the capital, however the residents of Delhi have been protesting against the lack of connectivity across corners through public transport.
Apart from the Delhi Metro, other transportation services have been ridiculed due to less information and importance given to these means. DTC buses in the city are a lifeline for a lot of people, but time and again Delhi Government has not paid much attention to its service.
In a new initiative by the Delhi Government, citizens will now be able to see real-time information and news on buses in Delhi through two Silicon Valley giants, Google and Twitter. Delhi Government has joined hands with Google and Twitter to provide live information on bus services, routes and timings during the odd-even formula implementation period in Delhi. This is a very fresh news for Delhi commuters who have been waiting for such services to help them optimize their commute.
Delhi Transport Minister, Gopal Rai, has had meetings with Google and Twitter officials to make this possible and will continue to have meetings to support this initiative. “Government is in talks with the officials of Google and Twitter to provide real time information of public transport like routes of buses in a particular area. With this, people will easily get to know about bus information through the link to be available on Twitter and Google,” Gopal Rai commented on this lead. Google Now and Google Maps are actively used to search for locations, but it will be interesting to see how Twitter plans to help in the matter.
This goes without saying that this is going to benefit only those with a smartphone, but then nearly everyone is able to afford a smartphone these days, and why not make use it to the best. At the moment, Google provides you information about bus timings near your area which are mere approximations and information from DTC centres, but this is the first time Google and Twitter will be involved in updating you the time when your bus will be arriving to your location or the nearest bus stop.
In cases where you’re completely new to the area, Google and Twitter will provide you information to search for nearest bus stops and buses to take you to your destination.
For now the 15-day odd-even rule is on a trial basis, but could extend depending on success. Delhi Government intends to increase the number of buses on the road for the 15-day period to enhance connectivity and support the extra traffic during the period. I think this is a great move towards ‘Digital India’ and will ensure people face lesser troubles in January when the scheme is planned to roll-out. Of course, the implementation will not be the smoothest you can expect and quite a few will feel disturbed by the odd-even formula, but for once let’s all give up our luxuries to address a national concern.
Source / Image: Flickr.com