The Delhi Metro lost over three lakh commuters a day in October after a steep increase in fares was brought into effect, PTI reported on Friday.
While an average 27.4 lakh passengers used the metro every day in September, the number fell to 24.2 lakh in October, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said in response to a Right to Information query.
The daily footfall in October was lower than even the same month last year, despite new stretches coming into operation since then. Metro trains saw a daily average footfall of 27.2 lakh in October 2016. Ridership typically rises when new routes begin operation.
The Aam Aadmi Party government had opposed the revision in fares from October 10 – the second this year. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the move “anti-people”. The new fares range from Rs 10 to Rs 60.
The busiest line, the Blue Line, lost over 30 lakh commuters, and the number fell by 19 lakh for the Yellow Line, the data from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation showed. The Blue Line connects the eastern suburb of Noida in Uttar Pradesh with Dwarka in West Delhi, and the Yellow Line connects Samaypur Badli in the north with Gurugram in Haryana.
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