Fare hike of Delhi Metro impacts on commuters, RTI reveals falling in ridership figure

New Delhi:  Delhi Metro has achieved a lot even it is has biggest extending network in India. In the history of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation by an eight years there was no fare hike was done but sudden fare rises in 2017 has reduce the number of commuter. Does DMRC aim to provide transport facility to common people of Delhi with fewer prices than private vehicles? Now it has become a big dispute that metro charges are equal or even more than private vehicle.

The increase in fares of the Delhi Metro has decreased the number of passengers in the metro. According to information from RTI, five lakh passengers stopped traveling every day in the metro. There has been a lot of decline in the earnings of the metro due to not being able to travel so many.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also stand against the fare hike of Delhi Metro. The Aam Aadmi Party workers had also began a march against the fare hike.

According to information of RTI, in 2017 from March to May, number of travelers till now has been reduce to greater extent. And this shortage has been registered after the increase in rent. According to official data, after the increase in fares, the number of people traveling on daily basis in November, December, January and February is 24.38 lakh, 22.71 lakh, 23.01 lakh and 22.18 lakh respectively. When the number of passengers came down, the Metro attributed this to ‘seasonal changes’ and holidays due to festivals.  At the same time, in the month of March, April and May, 22 lakh, 22 lakh and 22.5 lakh people traveled daily in the Delhi Metro. Last year, in the month of March, April and May, these numbers were 27.6 lakh, 27.5 lakh and 26.5 lakh respectively.

Even the officials of the Delhi Metro were expected to increase the number of passengers by increasing the heat this year, but the numbers of inverted passengers have come down. At the same time, political rhetoric has started on this. Delhi’s Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot has blamed the central government for this. He says that the common man cannot even travel in the metro by increasing the rent.

On increasing rent, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardip Singh Puri had justified the hike which is necessary to provide “world class facilities” to commuter. Even he had promised that there will be no shortage of passengers by the increase in fares, but the increase in revenue of the Delhi Metro will be required. But the result has not been increased in reverse income but the number of passengers has reduced considerably.