Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal Metro Rail, which drew massive public attention on its inaugural day, witnessed a noticeable decline in passenger turnout on the second day of operations. Passenger number on the priority corridor between AIIMS and Subhash Nagar Metro Station nearly halved on Monday, indicating that the initial excitement may be tapering off.
According to official figures, around 7,000 passengers travelled on Sunday, the first day of commercial operations. On Monday, the number dropped to 2,896, with only about 1,700 passengers having travelled by 6 pm. In contrast to Sunday’s packed coaches and long queues at ticket counters, Metro trains on Monday were largely uncrowded, especially during afternoon hours.
While Metro continues to attract city residents, most commuters appeared to be riding the trains out of curiosity and for leisure rather than daily work-related travel. Passenger movement was largely concentrated during morning and evening hours, while stations and trains appeared deserted in the afternoon.
Afternoon trains see minimal crowd
Free Press conducted a survey at around 3:55 pm on Monday on the Subhash Nagar–AIIMS route and found minimal passenger presence. Several commuters were travelling comfortably with families and children, with most seats in the three-coach trains remaining vacant. Areas outside Metro stations and traffic on roads below elevated sections were also significantly lighter compared to Sunday.
Manual ticket mode fails
Another concern that emerged prominently on the second day was the flawed ticketing and checking system. Due to manual ticketing, several passengers reportedly exploited loopholes by purchasing Rs 20 ticket meant for shorter distances but travelling the entire stretch to AIIMS, where the actual fare is Rs 40. In multiple instances, ticket-checking staff failed to verify tickets, allowing passengers to travel beyond permitted stations unchecked.
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