Metro works; fewer private vehicles on delhi’s roads
A study by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) found that the Metro — which carries 8.5 lakh passengers daily — keeps an average of 57,953 vehicles off the roads each day.
Apart from providing Delhiites a safe, comfortable and quick mode of transport, it has helped decongest roads, reduce accidents and save money on fuel and vehicle maintenance.
A study by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) found that the Metro — which carries 8.5 lakh passengers daily — keeps an average of 57,953 vehicles off the roads each day.
Delhi, a city of 60 lakh vehicles, adds about 900 new ones every day.
The reduction in the number of vehicles on Metro routes will prevent 51 fatal accidents this year, according to the CRRI survey. Fuel savings will amount to Rs 197 crore. Rs 276 crore will be saved on vehicle maintenance and operation. Greenhouse gas emissions will fall by 107,436 tonnes.
“If the Metro’s social and economic benefits are quantified, the value of Phase-I’s accrued benefits will be Rs 10,801 crore by the end of March 2012,” said Mangu Singh, director (works), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
So far, the DMRC has spent Rs 26,000 crore in building 76 km of Metro lines.
The CRRI projected that the Metro’s accumulated benefits for this year alone would be Rs 5,503 crore.
The institute arrived at these findings after talking to 10,000 Metro passengers. The commuters were asked what vehicles they used before shifting to the Metro and how much they spent on fuel and maintenance.
The CRRI also consulted the traffic police to study the Metro’s impact on road safety.