Delhi Metro ridership rose by 26 per cent in 2007: DMRC

New Delhi, Jan 6 (UNI) The entire Delhi Metro network witnessed a 26.04 per cent increase in its ridership from 16 crore in 2006 to 20 crore last year with earnings touching Rs 236 crore in 2007.

According to a spokesperson for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation DMRC), the Line-1 (Shahdara-Rithala) saw a rise of 14.44 per cent from 5.7 crore to 6.5 crore while the Line-2 (Central Secretariat- Vishwa Vidyalaya) witnessed an increase of 26.37 per cent from 4.7 crore to 6 crore last year.

Similarly, he said the Line-3 connecting a number of important areas including, Indraprastha, Rajiv Chowk, Karol Bagh, Janakpuri, Rajouri Garden and Dwarka has emerged as the most popular corridor of DMRC with its ridership increasing by over 37 per cent from 2006 to 2007.

According to the final ridership figures for 2007, the Line-3, also known as the 'Blue Line', carried 7.8 crore commuters last year as against 5.7 crore in 2006. This represented an increase of 37.38 per cent, the spokesperson added.

The traffic earning on the Line-3 rose by 39.76 per cent in 2007, reaching Rs 96 crore from Rs 69 crore in 2006, he added.

Overall, the earning of the entire Metro network increased by 24.7 per cent from Rs 189 crore in 2006 to Rs 236 crore in 2007, the spokesperson said.

The increasing popularity of the Delhi Metro which carries 6,50,000 passengers per day has reduced 40,000 vehicles from the capital's roads and saved 476 lives so far due to reduced road accidents, he added.

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