Viral: News Report Claims Pune Metro Ridership Has Declined; Citizens Respond

A recent news report claimed that Pune Metro's ridership has seen a significant decline. "In the initial days, Punekars rode the metro for leisure, but now they seem to have lost interest," the report claimed. However, residents of Pune, expressing their views on X (formerly Twitter), refuted these claims, pointing to reports of a resurgence in the metro's daily average ridership in January.

According to data shared by Pune Metro, the average daily ridership in January saw a notable increase to 56,633 passengers, marking the highest figure in the past three months. This surge contrasts with the numbers of 53,268 in December, 47,292 in November, and 53,987 in October. The increase is primarily attributed to the enhanced frequency of trains on both the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Civil Court and Vanaz to Ruby Hall Clinic lines.

During peak hours, trains now operate at intervals of 7.5 minutes, while non-peak hours witness a frequency of 10 minutes. This improvement represents a significant upgrade from the previous intervals of 10 minutes during peak hours and 15 minutes during non-peak hours, alongside an increase in the number of daily train trips from 161 to 224.

In response to the report, residents of Pune criticised its accuracy and awareness. "This is misleading journalism. Pune Metro is gaining popularity, and the number of passengers is steadily rising," commented one X user. "I notice more commuters in the metro every day. Nowadays, it's hard to find parking at metro stations even at 8:30 in the morning. This clearly indicates an increase in ridership," echoed another.

1,764 ticketless passengers fined

1,764 ticketless passengers were fined in the last five months, with the highest number caught at Ruby Hall, PCMC, and Civil Court stations.