Chennai metro sees drop in passengers on Day 2

After an enthusiastic response on the inaugural day on Monday, the number of commuters on the metro rail in Chennai dropped drastically today.

On the first day, nearly 40,000 passengers bought the smart card tickets, with a total value of ₹16.77 lakh.

This means the average spending per passenger was about ₹42, said an official of Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL).

“There was a drop in passenger footfall today. However, we are not disappointed with the response on the second day as it happens to be a weekday.”

However, the official could not give details of today’s data, which will be collated only after the last train at 10 pm.

“The response on the inaugural day was due to excitement and we cannot expect the same enthusiasm on a daily basis. We hope to get good response on weekends. It will take time for people to realise the benefits of the metro over other modes of transports such as auto and bus,” said the official, who did not want to be named.

The official denied that the poor response on the second day was due to the high fare.

“People won’t mind spending when they see the benefits of travelling in an air-conditioned coach and reaching the destination quicker,” he said.

The official said that on the first day, CMRL refunded amount to those who surrendered their smart card, which is initially loaded with ₹100.

If a passenger has travelled from Alandur to Vadapalani for a fare of ₹60, the person will get back ₹40 on surrendering the smart card.

When asked whether the Metro will be integrated with other modes of transport such as buses, autos and taxis, a senior official said, “that should eventually happen, and we are working towards that. However, it will take time as many stakeholders are involved.”

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