Pune: Commuters prefer metro over bus; Metro’s ridership surges while PMPL registers drop after completion of PCMC to Swargate route
Exactly a week since the opening of the Metro route from Shivajinagar to Swargate, there has been a dramatic shift in commuting patterns in the city of Pune. Many commuters are avoiding Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses and preferring the Metro instead, thus sharply cutting down the number of passengers patronizing public transport.
The special bus service, “Dus mein bus,” offering rides for as low as ₹10 within the old Pune city, may soon be scrapped on this route due to poor ridership. According to PMPML spokesperson Satish Ghate: “The metro service has only recently begun on this route and we are already seeing an impact on commuter ridership.”. “The number of people traveling on this route by PMPML buses is declining.” Though they are reviewing the bus service, no immediate plan is in place to shut it down. Thus passengers have an option between public transport buses and the Metro, as well as auto rickshaws.
Commuters in general are happy with the new Metro service. Many feel it is convenient and economical compared with the bus service.
Ridership on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Swargate route shot up dramatically in the days following the launch of the Metro, while from October 1 to October 5, it stood at 3.45 lakh. Passengers have heralded the Metro as fast, clean, and affordable travelling.
There are, however, requests for improvement: frequency of trains during peak hours and parking at Metro stations. The commuter is frustrated with not having enough parking space, which compels them to use public transport.
The other growing demand is the opening of the Khadki Metro Station on the PCMC to Swargate route. According to the Executive Director of Pune Metro, 70% of the construction work on the Khadki station is in place, and the date of opening for the said station will only be in January 2025, subject to completing the remaining work.
