Backward glance

Gurgaon in the current times has become a reverie for people of Delhi and NCR. Whether it is for virtuous career prospects, world class educational facilities, secure investment options, luxurious lifestyle or high-end residential apartments, this city lures people. Here's how Gurgaon faired in 2014
TOLL-FREE TRAVEL
The first and the most important change that the year brought for Gurgaonites was the scrapping of the toll.The move brought with it huge relief to the daily commuters between Delhi and Gurgaon. This was the first instance of a toll plaza being removed before the contract period ended. The Gurgaon Expressway was one of the first big projects developed on the public-private-partnership model. Though there were initial glitches, the ride is a smooth one now.
YEAR OF ANNIVERSARIES
Raahgiri Day : Who would have imagined people dancing right in the middle of the road in an Indian city, without having to worry about motorists honking, abusing or worse still, strike them down as is the sad routine here, completing a commendable journey with thousands of residents participating every Sunday, the Raahgiri Day completed one year on November 16, 2014.The initiative showed that the people were ready to accept alternate means of commuting and if safe and high quality infrastructure is provided they are most likely to make full use of it.
Rapid Metro: The 5.1-km stretch of the Rapid Metro, India's first fully privately funded metro rail system, was opened to the public on November 14 last year to boost and further strengthen connectivity within Cyber City, which has emerged as one of the busiest areas in Gurgaon, with a traffic volume of almost two lakh vehicles entering and exiting the city on a daily basis. The metro system was the first in India to auction naming rights for its stations. Presently, commuters at all six stations are provided with free Internet connectivity using Wi-Fi. The free WiFi service is being provided by telecom service provider MTS India. Commuters can get Wi-Fi coupons at kiosks set up by MTS India in all Rapid Metro stations.
Gold Souk: Back in 2004, when the Gold Souk opened its doors to Gurgaonites, it was a novelty. Shopping for jewellery from a mall was not heard of and having a dedicated jewellery mall was something that attracted a lot of attention. But a decade on, this is one Gurgaon mall that has bucked the trend, largely because there weren't many expectations first up. It doesn't exactly herald a sea change but the Gold Souk does seem to have ushered in a shift in the jewellery-buying habits of Gurgaonites.

NEW INITIATIVES
The much discussed plan of installing cycle tracks has finally been initiated. The administration plans to cover an area of 8 km from HUDA City Centre to Golf Course Road Extension. Also Gurgaonites are in large number being sensitized on the need of giving right of way to ambulances. As per the Road Safety Officers (RSOs), who started this campaign, they want to encourage every citizen to take a pledge that they will clear the way for an ambulance, so that lives can be saved. Along with it to ensure that immediate medical care is provided to the road accident victims, pilot project has been launched on the Gurgaon-Jaipur section of NH 8 that provides the victim cashless treatment for up to Rs.30,000. GPS enabled ambulances, connected with a central control room through a toll-free number 1033, will be stationed at distance of 20 km to transport the injured to the hospitals for treatment within the 'Golden Hour'.
CONNECTED ADMINISTRATION
Various government agencies in Gurgaon have opened their doors to the changing scenario and have willingly become a part of the social bandwagon. Technology is being used in a big way by the police in Gurgaon. Right from the social networks to instant messaging, the Gurgaon administration is leaving no stone unturned to connect with the residents. From the last month since Commissioner of Police Virk joined, he has been communicating with his officers using e-mail and applications like WhatsApp. "WhatsApp is an amazing tool to enhance police efficiency manifold and to connect with the people in real time," Virk said. Virk informed, "Gurgaon police has adopted its use in a big way." He said that with the growing population and growing responsibilities of police, "the only way forward is to modernize the police force using latest technology".
LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY
Haryana Roadways has started two new feeder bus routes one of which will directly link Udyog Vihar, the commercial hub, to the blue line Metro station at Dwarka Sector 21. This will greatly ease the problem of those commuting daily from Dwarka and Noida to Gurgaon for work. The other proposed route will connect Udyog Vihar to Moulsar Avenue station of Rapid Metro. The step was taken considering the last mile connectivity issues faced by those working in the city especially those in the IT-BPO industry. With the government taking steps to improve public transport, the residents too are willingly shifting their interest from personal cars to Metro, cycling or car pools. This can be clearly gauged from the fact that just after its inauguration, the ridership on Rapid Metro increased to 15,000 commuters from 5,000 that travelled on the first day. And the number is only increasing.