An X (formerly Twitter) user on Friday took to the microblogging site and posted a picture of a leaking roof at the Shivajinagar Metro Station in Pune. "Roof leaking at @metrorailpune's Shivajinagar Station! Water dripping through a roof barely two years old. Is this how public money is utilised?"
Another user commented that there are many such spots of water leakage at metro stations in the city. He wrote, "Very few care. People are happy that the system is ready and operational. But they don't pay attention to details. Fact is, the work done is not entirely exceptional. Ones like you, who observe things carefully, would notice cheap quality and unfinished work at many spots."
The Free Press Journal contacted the metro officials, who said that they have identified these spots and would get the work done at the earliest.
Hemant Sonawane, Executive Director (Administration and Public Relations), Maha Metro, said, "We have identified the issue. Around 20 to 25 spots have been identified at various metro stations. A dedicated technical team has been deployed to resolve the issue as soon as possible."
Earlier, commuters had urged authorities to extend metro service hours till midnight to accommodate those working late shifts and to ensure they can reach home conveniently. At present, the metro operates from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
However, Sonawane said no such plans are in the offing currently. "As of now, we cannot stretch the metro timing past 11 p.m. because when we did a footfall analysis, the ridership was too low between 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. The footfall during these hours is in the range of 2,000 to 5,000," he stated. "Besides, the maintenance charge of the metro is high. It will lead to a loss if we increase the trips in the absence of enough footfall. However, in the future, if the ridership increases, authorities will decide to increase the timings," he added.
