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Navi Mumbai metro off to a good start with 4.3 lakh footfalls in a month
Navi Mumbai's new metro service has seen a good response from passengers, with over 430,000 people using the service in its first month of operation. The metro has also led to an increase in metro tourism, with families visiting for the experience. Additionally, residents of Taloja are now staying in the area, as transportation issues have been resolved. The metro service operates from 6 am to 10 pm, with a metro every 15 minutes. The fares for the service range from ₹10 to ₹40, depending on the distance traveled.
NAVI MUMBAI
Navi Mumbai metro service that took off last month after 12 years of wait has elicited good response from the passengers. Over 4.30 lakh passengers have used the service in a month.
Interestingly, the service has also led to metro tourism with families flocking for the experience particularly on holidays. There are also reports of Taloja residents who have flats in the area, coming to stay there with the transportation issue being resolved.
The metro service Line 1, a 11.10 km route with 11 stations started on November 17 from Belapur to Pendhar. The services operate from 6 am to 10 pm, with a metro every 15 minutes. There are 65 up and 65 down services daily.
The services began after an order by chief minister Eknath Shinde to commission it sans any public programme. The project, long delayed, had reportedly been awaiting inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several dates finalized had to be cancelled.
According to CIDCO public relations officer Priya Ratambe, “The metro service has received excellent response in the very first month of its operation. 4,30,079 people took the metro between November 17 and December 16 with ticket sales accruing to ₹1.16 cr.”
She added, “We are confident that the numbers will increase in the coming months as we have received positive feedback from the riders.”
The services have proved to be a boon to the local residents of Kharghar and Taloja who had limited public transport facilities and were heavily dependent on auto rickshaws which proved costly.
Said Samod Sarngan, a resident of Kharghar, “This is such a welcome service for which local residents have been waiting for years. In fact, several of us took up residence in the node expecting the service to start years back.”
He added, “Not only has it made travel so much easier for us, it has also ensured that we save a lot of money. Those travelling to work daily do not have to depend on the autorickshaws which charge exorbitantly as they do not go by metre.”
There is another section that has lapped up the service. Said Akash Patil, a resident of Panvel, “Last Sunday when we took our kids to Central Park in Kharghar, they saw the metro and wanted to go for a ride in it which we did and had a great time.”
He added, “We found a lot of families travelling with us for fun. It has become a big attraction for kids with even adults wanting to experience it.”
Meanwhile, the service has made it easier to shift to areas like Taloja. Said Shahjehan Chougule, a Taloja real estate consultant, “A lot of people have bought flats in the node but have either rented them out or they are lying vacant. That is changing now.”
He informed, “Such people have started moving in or are making plans for it as travel is not going to be a problem for them anymore. Finally their investment will be of use for them.”
Box
Metro Fare
₹10 for 0 to 2 km
₹15 for 2 to 4 km
₹20 for 4 to 6 km
₹25 for 6 to 8 km
₹30 for 8 to 10 km
₹40 for distances beyond 10 km.
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