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Lucknow Metro records historic ridership surge
On the first day of the year, the ridership of Lucknow Metro was expected to cross the 1.30 lakh mark, the highest in a day since its inception in 2017.
Lucknow Metro witnessed a significant spike in daily footfall on Monday as a result of the strike by UPSRTC buses and private taxi operators.
On the first day of the year, the ridership of Lucknow Metro was expected to cross the 1.30 lakh mark, the highest in a day since its inception in 2017. By 7 pm, 1.05 lakh passengers had already travelled on Lucknow Metro. Metro officials anticipate it will surpass 1.30 lakh passengers on January 1, 2024. Today’s ridership surpassed the previous record set just six days ago on December 25, 2023, which saw a daily ridership of 93,237.
MD Sushil Kumar said, “The New Year has begun on a very positive note as we recorded the highest-ever daily ridership of more than 1 lakh, and I feel that this is just the beginning. We are committed to providing the best and safest travel experience to our passengers and are grateful for their continued trust.”
This massive spike in footfall and ridership is largely due to the state-of-the-art conveniences offered by the metro to its commuters, said MD UPMRC Sushil Kumar.
“The affordability of fares, comparable to buses and auto-rickshaws, has made Lucknow Metro the preferred choice among commuters seeking a swift and comfortable travel experience,” he added.
On Monday, when taxis and buses went off the road, long queues were seen for tickets at various metro stations. For the first time, people were unable to find seats inside the train.
In December 2023, Lucknow Metro achieved its highest ridership of 22,77,491, surpassing the previous highest ridership of 22,08,328 in August 2023.
The highest daily average ridership of 73,476 passengers was also recorded in December 2023, compared to the previous highest daily average ridership of 71,634 passengers in September 2023.
Speaking on the matter, an official from the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) stated, “In addition to various factors, the success can be attributed to extensive awareness campaigns, small-scale business carnivals, celebratory events such as birthdays, and pre-wedding shoots held within the metro premises. These initiatives have significantly enhanced the public’s perception of this mode of transportation.”
The Lucknow Metro’s exceptional achievement on Monday establishes its position as the city’s favored mode of public transport. If the metro network expands further and continues to prioritise the needs of its passengers, I am hopeful that Lucknow Metro will see a further surge in ridership, said the official.”
