Archive for the ‘dtc’ Category

Protest against killer bluelines

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

Citizens for good governance, involving RWAs of Delhi, NGOs and civil society activists will meet to protest the ‘licence to kill’ policy of the Delhi Government’s transport department and to highlight the non-serious attitude of the Government on the issuewith a Candle Light vigil for those who have lost their lives in road accidents by killer buses and a deadly policy.

Date: 19th July 2007
Venue : Jantar Mantar
Time : 5.30 p.m.

Please be there along with members of your staff, family or friends to bring attention to this burning issue.

For details, contact us on 9811153833, 9868148896 or 9811400644

US writes to E. Sreedharan, to meet Transport Minister

Sunday, July 8th, 2007

Press Release

Delhi University students ask for Metro fare reduction: transport to College costs more per month than the course fees for the whole year, say students.
 
· To meet transport Minister Haroon Yusuf on Monday 9th for shuttle bus services and additional DU specials

New Delhi, 8th July 2007:  Students of Delhi University under the United Students group have written to the DMRC Chief E. Sreedharan asking him to revise his view on offering students a special metro fare.

Students had earlier written to him suggesting that a special fare could be worked out for students going to and coming back from the Vishwavidyalaya Station only as a beginning but he had cited losses as a reason to deny the possibility. Students have yesterday written to him again asking him to reconsider the decision as in many cases the cost of transport to and from the DU was more than the annual fees. Students have also argued that a comparison with other metros shows that students everywhere get preferential rates.

Krishna Kaul, who is coordinating the Metro fare issue for United Students in his letter has also asked that the DMRC Chairman support their demand with the Fare Fixation Committee.

In a related development, Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf has agreed to meet a delegation of United Students members in relation with the issue of starting Shuttle Bus services for the North and South Campus which has added to the transport costs of students. The meeting has been fixed for 3.30 in the afternoon at the Minister’s office.

“Students have to shell out 20-30 rupees for traveling within the campus in the North while eveningers and others have to pay exorbitant rates to autos from Dhaulakuan to the South campus merely because there is no convenient way to travel this distance for students,” said Ritwik Agarwal who is coordinating the Shuttle Bus issue for the group.

Students expect to convince the Minister that a hop-on, hop-off shuttle bus service could take care of the entire issue without costing a lot of money in both the campuses.

“The introduction of a shuttle in the North and South Campus will not only save students precious amounts of money but also make the campus a cleaner place and far safer for girl students”, said Nupur Mittal, also a coordinator for the group.

Aldeena Raju, a Miranda House student and a US member said, “Today in the North Campus, hundreds of cycle rickshaws, buses, cars, motorcycles have made the campus look like a fish market while allowing hundreds of unauthorized people entry into the campus. A shuttle service will allow only authorized entry and provide a single mode of transport for students, faculty and service providers.”

Similarly in the South Campus, students, particularly girl students who cannot afford to pay Rs. 20 for trips between Dhaulakuan and the South Campus are often having to walk the distance come rain, heat or a dark evening. This needs to be stopped in the interest of safety and convenience, said the students.

 ————————————————————————————-
For more information pl. contact Ritwik on 9873554908 or Nupur on 9868870647

US briefs the media on latest campaign

Thursday, May 31st, 2007

United Students briefed the media on thursday, 31st May 2007 about our latest campaign for rationalization of transport costs for Delhi University students which will run in conjunction with our annual “new admits mentorship programme” from the 1st - 15th June 2007 to help admission seekers at the university.

US members brief the media in New Delhi


Press Release

United Students start campaign to seek rationalization of transport costs for students : travel costs in a month equivalent to a year’s fees, say group members.

Group will run a campaign coinciding with its admissions mentorship programme for new admission seekers.

New Delhi , 31st May, 2007 : Members of United Students, the group that initiated the campaign against caste-based reservations last year and organized a new student’s union to fight the DUSU elections has today kicked off a campaign to highlight the abnormal costs of travel borne by University students.”When the cost of travel per month begins to equal your annual fees, you know that there is something seriously wrong at a policy level,” said Aaditya Dar, Chief Coordinator of the group.United Student volunteers will start a signature campaign to make admission-seekers aware of what their real expenses will be once they join college and secure the support of parents who will be accompanying them during the admission process.

“US members will run this campaign along with their annual campaign to help admission seekers with information, insight and assistance during the admission process,” said Dar

Ritwik Agrawal, a member and student of Hindu College said, “We have done an analysis of approximate cost of traveL to and from Delhi University for students and we find that for some students living in areas like Dwarka, just the Metro cost is a stupendous Rs. 42 per day. Add to that the auto or cycle rickshaw costs, the DTC Pass and other transfer costs and we have a monthly bill touching Rs. 3000 per month in some cases.”

Nikhita Arora, another member and student of Kirori Mal College said, “We had petitioned the DMRC Chairman to rationalize the Metro fares for students but he summarily rejected our plaint. Similarly, a letter to the Transport Minister of Delhi for augmentation of University Specials and a special shuttle service in North and South campus has gone unanswered”.

The recent indications that the DTC Pass will also cost more has got the students body up in arms. “Everywhere else in the world students are subsidized to the extent that they can move about freely – this is the only instance in the world where the transport and conveyance costs more than the fees for an education,” said Ishaan Wadhwa, a student of Venkateshwara College in South Campus.

—————————————————–
For more information, please contact Ritwik Agrawal on 9873554908 or at ritwik@unitedstudents.in