Pune: Rain, pothole-ridden roads and persistent traffic jams pushed thousands of Pune commuters to Metro in Aug, taking cumulative ridership to 74.24 lakh and average daily footfall to 2.39 lakh — the highest this year so far across the two operational corridors in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.For many commuters, Metro became more than just a transport option. It became an escape from the monsoon misery unfolding on the roads. Among them was Samir Dixit, an IT professional working in the Nagar Road area. After battling rain-soaked streets, bumper-to-bumper traffic and difficult riding conditions through July, Dixit decided he had had enough.“Travelling by two-wheeler had become exhausting. The rain and traffic snarls made even routine journeys difficult. For the last three weeks, Metro has been my preferred mode of transport,” he said.
Metro ridership
Metro officials refrained from commenting on the city’s road conditions but acknowledged a clear surge in demand throughout Aug. “More than 9 lakh additional passengers travelled by Metro in Aug compared to July. On most days, daily ridership comfortably crossed the 2-lakh mark,” a Maha Metro official said.The rising numbers are part of a broader trend. The officials said average daily ridership had steadily increased over the last four months, from around 1.88 lakh in May to 2.39 lakh in Aug. The Vanaz-Ramwadi corridor continued to outperform the PCMC-Swargate route, maintaining its lead in passenger numbers throughout the month,” the official said.Maha Metro officials also attributed the ridership spike to the return of students as colleges resumed full-scale operations for the new academic year. Saket Jadhav, a postgraduate student, said he and several friends had been using Metro regularly to travel between Dapodi and Deccan Gymkhana. “It saves a lot of time and stress,” he said.He, however, pointed out that gaps remained. “Many stations still lack adequate last-mile connectivity and parking facilities. Maintaining this level of ridership will depend on how much feeder services improve going forward,” Jadhav said.While PMPML operates feeder buses linking Metro stations with nearby areas, commuters continue to complain about poor frequency and unreliable schedules. Another persistent sore point is the alleged fleecing by autorickshaw drivers outside Metro stations, a grievance regularly voiced by passengers across the network.
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