PUNE: Pune Metro recorded a sharp rise in ridership on the first day of Ganeshotsav this year, with 2,62,671 passengers using the service on Monday. The figure was 46,297 higher than the 2,16,374 passengers recorded on the first day of the festival last year. This marked a 21.40% increase in ridership.
The Metro administration increased the frequency of trains to manage the festival rush. Trains are being operated at an interval of five minutes during the peak period.
The Mahatma Phule Mandai Metro station recorded the highest footfall with 51,533 passengers till 11 pm. This was a 21.73% increase from 42,334 passengers recorded at the station on the first day of Ganeshotsav last year.
The District Court station, which serves as an interchange, recorded 58,948 passengers. This was a 21.89% increase from 48,359 passengers last year.
The other major stations also recorded significant footfall. PCMC recorded 25,429 passengers, Ramwadi 23,644, Swargate 21,099 and PMC 19,267 passengers.
The Metro has planned extended services during the festival to help devotees visit pandals at night. The five-minute frequency will help handle the increased passenger demand.
Chandrashekhar Tambvekar, public relations officer for Pune Metro, said, “The Metro administration has advised devotees visiting central Pune to use Kasba Peth, Swargate, PMC, Deccan Gymkhana and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Udyan stations. Passengers have been advised to use Mahatma Phule Mandai station mainly for their return journey to help manage crowds.”
{{/usCountry}}Chandrashekhar Tambvekar, public relations officer for Pune Metro, said, “The Metro administration has advised devotees visiting central Pune to use Kasba Peth, Swargate, PMC, Deccan Gymkhana and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Udyan stations. Passengers have been advised to use Mahatma Phule Mandai station mainly for their return journey to help manage crowds.”
{{/usCountry}}The Metro administration appealed to citizens to use the service to avoid traffic congestion and ensure a safe and convenient journey during the festival. Commuters have also been urged to use digital ticketing options such as QR tickets, the Metro app and WhatsApp to avoid queues at ticket counters.