1 day Ago By Sarang Dastane
Pune: The daily ridership on two operational Metro routes — Vanaz to Ramwadi and PCMC to Swargate — has remained stuck between 1.5 lakh and 1.6 lakh over last four months even as the Centre's nod is awaited for newly proposed routes.
Regular commuters in the city said that the absence of next-phase Metro connections could be among the key reasons behind slow increase in ridership. They said that unless new routes are opened, the footfall will not increase. The daily average footfall on both the routes in Feb was 1.
53 lakh. In Jan, the two routes recorded a daily footfall of 1.6 lakh, while in Dec and Nov, it was around 1.
51 lakh and 1.43 lakh, respectively. In March, the average footfall for first 23 days has been around 1.
44 lakh, which is below 1.5 lakh. Ritu Singh, who travels regularly to Ramwadi in Metro and then by bus or an auto to reach her office in Kharadi, said, "I have been hearing that the proposal to extend the Metro till Wagholi is under consideration.
It will be good if the services are extended till Wagholi, covering entire Nagar Road." Ramwadi to Wagholi and Vanaz to Chandni Chowk routes are among the key proposals awaiting Centre's approval. These proposals were cleared by the state govt a year ago in March 2024.
Besides these two routes, five more proposals are pending with the Centre for approval. MP Muralidhar Mohol has said that both the proposals are in advanced stages of clearance and likely to get further approvals soon. Maha Metro officials said that they are waiting for the clearance, which will pave the way for actual work.
A former corporator from Congress said that the delay in necessary clearances was unacceptable. "The BJP is ruling in the Centre and state. The proposals are pending even if like-minded govts are there at the Centre and state.
Late clearances will delay completion of Metro lines, and eventually, commuters will have to suffer," he said. Dipak Kiran, a regular Metro traveller, said that it is now clear that a minimum of three to four years is required for commencement of a new route. Even if the Centre approves new routes for Wagholi and Chandni Chowk, commuters will be able to travel in the Metro only after three years, he said.
PMC sources said that the civic administration has given clearances to extension proposals to avoid delays. For the last three years, PMC has been functioning without elected representatives. Despite absence of corporators, proposals have been cleared by the administration, sources said.
Pune: The daily ridership on two operational Metro routes — Vanaz to Ramwadi and PCMC to Swargate — has remained stuck between 1.5 lakh and 1.6 lakh over last four months even as the Centre's nod is awaited for newly proposed routes.
Regular commuters in the city said that the absence of next-phase Metro connections could be among the key reasons behind slow increase in ridership. They said that unless new routes are opened, the footfall will not increase. The daily average footfall on both the routes in Feb was 1.
53 lakh. In Jan, the two routes recorded a daily footfall of 1.6 lakh, while in Dec and Nov, it was around 1.
51 lakh and 1.43 lakh, respectively. In March, the average footfall for first 23 days has been around 1.
44 lakh, which is below 1.5 lakh. Ritu Singh, who travels regularly to Ramwadi in Metro and then by bus or an auto to reach her office in Kharadi, said, "I have been hearing that the proposal to extend the Metro till Wagholi is under consideration.
It will be good if the services are extended till Wagholi, covering entire Nagar Road." Ramwadi to Wagholi and Vanaz to Chandni Chowk routes are among the key proposals awaiting Centre's approval. These proposals were cleared by the state govt a year ago in March 2024.
Besides these two routes, five more proposals are pending with the Centre for approval. MP Muralidhar Mohol has said that both the proposals are in advanced stages of clearance and likely to get further approvals soon. Maha Metro officials said that they are waiting for the clearance, which will pave the way for actual work.
A former corporator from Congress said that the delay in necessary clearances was unacceptable. "The BJP is ruling in the Centre and state. The proposals are pending even if like-minded govts are there at the Centre and state.
Late clearances will delay completion of Metro lines, and eventually, commuters will have to suffer," he said. Dipak Kiran, a regular Metro traveller, said that it is now clear that a minimum of three to four years is required for commencement of a new route. Even if the Centre approves new routes for Wagholi and Chandni Chowk, commuters will be able to travel in the Metro only after three years, he said.
PMC sources said that the civic administration has given clearances to extension proposals to avoid delays. For the last three years, PMC has been functioning without elected representatives. Despite absence of corporators, proposals have been cleared by the administration, sources said.
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