Last-mile connectivity is still a problem for Metro passengers. They still have to walk quite a distance to hire any mode of transport after coming out of the station.

Due to this, the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) is struggling to maintain sufficient passenger load, said officials.

According to experts, LMRC has made efforts to encourage passengers to use the metro service, but high ticket prices and poor last-mile connectivity have kept quite a few people away from availing this mode of transport.

A Roadways official said, “Metro officials are caught in a fix because they are not getting adequate passengers. They want to stop our bus services on their routes and also want to stop taxies from plying on the route to get business.”

He added: “They are also not bringing down the prices of their tickets and have failed to provide good last-mile connectivity to passengers.”

The official said: “Metro has become the transport of the classes but LMRC has failed to reach out to the masses.”

“Taxis are the most affordable mode of transport on the Metro route. The proposal to stop autos on the route is not justified,” said Pankaj Dixit, president, Lucknow Auto-Taxi Sangh.

However, LMRC PRO Pushpa Bellany denied any such proposal by the LMRC to the state government. She said, “We have never said anything to authorities to stop other mode of transport on the Metro route. We have spoken to authorities about starting strong feeder services on the Metro route, which is the demand of passengers.”

The LMRC has prepared the blueprint to start full-fledged feeder services for boosting lastmile connectivity for Metro passengers. Different cities have different mobility requirements that depend on factors like distances, road connectivity and passenger load, she said.

“Lucknow has its own problems when it comes to vehicle parking, passenger load and preferences. So, we have to provide last-mile connectivity with strong feeder services,” said Bellany

First Published: May 17, 2019 10:18 IST