In a massive achievement, Punekars ditched their own vehicles and preferred to commute by Pune Metro during the Ganeshotsav. The Free Press Journal has accessed data showing that the metro recorded a ridership of 20.44 lakh from September 7 to 17. Additionally, the metro raked in revenue of a whopping ₹3.05 crore during these 11 days of the festival.
To accommodate the increased footfall and ensure smooth transportation during the Ganeshotsav, Pune Metro had extended its passenger service hours until midnight while increasing the frequency. From September 7 to 9, metro services operated from 6am to 11pm, while from September 10 to 16, it was extended further, running from 6am to 12 midnight. On the last day, the metro ran continuously for 24 hours, from 6am on September 17 to 6am on September 18.
According to the data, the number of commuters travelling by metro was: 1,17,723 on September 7; 1,48,710 on September 8; 1,50,042 on September 9; 1,49,426 on September 10; 1,50,685 on September 11; 1,68,564 on September 12; 1,76,946 on September 13; 2,43,435 on September 14; 2,25,644 on September 15; 1,66,534 on September 16; and 3,46,633 on September 17.
The Pune Metro generated revenue of ₹14,46,150 on September 7; ₹18,45,220 on September 8; ₹25,02,552 on September 9; ₹24,70,265 on September 10; ₹25,13,825 on September 11; ₹27,88,832 on September 12; ₹29,43,133 on September 13; ₹29,73,589 on September 14; ₹27,95,432 on September 15; ₹28,09,649 on September 16; and ₹54,92,412 on September 17.
Meanwhile, the total ridership from September 1 to 17 was 28,16,871 — 9,55,056 for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to District Court route and 18,66,815 for the Vanaz to Ramwadi route. Besides, the total revenue from September 1 to 17 was ₹4,29,80,155 — ₹1,38,99,193 for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to District Court route and ₹2,90,80,964 for the Vanaz to Ramwadi route.
