Make Delhi Metro viable, reduce travel costs: Naidu

, June 23: With an aim of promoting use of metro train service in the national capital and lending an ear to commuters, Union Minister M

today took a ride on it and said efforts will be made to popularise the service, make it more viable and reduce travel costs.

The Urban Development Minister lauded the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for the maintenance and organisation of the entire system. "I feel this is the best mode of transport for people who want to reach early and comfortably.

This (Delhi) metro or metros across the country are symbols of modern India. Our people have got capacity and calibre if we give them proper encouragement and opportunity they can do wonders," Naidu told reporters after taking a 15 minute ride on the Airport Metro from Terminal 3 of International Airport to Shivaji Park station.

Naidu interacted with commuters en route and took their suggestions about travel fare, transport facilities on stations and also increasing frequency of trains.

"I had the occasion to interact with commuters and their suggestions were to reduce travel charges, it is very high comparatively. I have asked officers to think about it and take the decision at the earliest about providing link connectivity. Whenever they (commuters) get down at the station to reach their homes, they should have connectivity through bus service that also can be organised by some extent by DMRC and also we can have proper coordination with the DTC also. People want little more frequency, that will come in the course of time," the Minister said.

Naidu said efforts have to be made to find out ways to make Metro more viable and self-sufficient. "First of all we have to now think about ways and means of making metro rail viable. You cannot rely on subsidy for long. It has to be on its on and for that they (DMRC) are there in public partnership mode.

People have bidded then the market was very high, subsequently the market was down so they are not getting adequate income as expected but through way of popularising this by providing commercial space to people they can get some more revenue," he said.

The minister said giving space for ATMs, food courts, advertisements can help DMRC generate revenue and other by popularising the facilities people will start using it more frequently. "It is a two-way process if you want to increase the popularity you will have to give people the facilities and only then they would want to travel and vice versa," Naidu added.

PTI