NEW DELHI: In the last one year, lakhs of
commuters have
deserted the Delhi Metro. In order to know the reason why the numbers have fallen and to bring them back up,
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will soon
commission a
comprehensive study, which would not only provide reasons for the large number of people leaving the metro in the last one year, but also which modes of transport they prefer now and why these modes have a competitive edge over the metro.
Metro’s fares saw an almost 100% increase in 2017, with the fares being revised twice — in May and then October. The steep fare hike also witnessed metro’s ridership falling drastically, more so after the second round of hike in October. Compared to April 2017, the ridership in April this year fell by more than four lakh. There is an upward trend though. The dip in ridership witnessed in May 2018 compared to 2017 was 3.1 lakh and the dip was reduced to 1.3 lakh in June, compared to June last year.
DMRC, however, feels that the fare hike is not the only reason why its ridership has dipped and hopes that the study will not only reveal other factors, but also suggest ways to increase its ridership. “The issue is not only increased fares, but there are other factors as well. For instance, we believe that many commuters now choose shared cab rides over metro even though their prices are higher than a metro ride. Unlike metro, however, cabs provide door-to-door transportation. In such cases, if metro can provide comfortable and seamless last-mile connectivity, these commuters will come back to us,” said a DMRC official.
DMRC is going to engage Urban Mass Transit Company limited (UMTC), a consultancy firm, to carry out the study. UMTC is already carrying out a study for rationalising Delhi Metro’s feeder routes. “The terms of reference for the study are yet to be finalised,” the official said. “As part of the study, inputs and feedback will be taken from both metro users and non-users, which we believe would help us in improving our services and providing commuters a better travel experience,” he added.
The study would determine the reasons for adverse impact on the ridership of
Delhi Metro during the last financial year. DMRC also wants to find out the reasons for ‘low acceptance’ of its newly opened corridors as part of Phase III expansion.
The study would also come up with data on the comparative status of the availability of other modes of transport in the vicinity of metro stations, apart from their competitive advantages and disadvantages as compared to the metro. The goal of the study is to suggest short-term and long-term steps that DMRC can take to augment its ridership.
Delhi Metro
