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After viral video, Maha-Metro instructs Pune citizens not to ride bicycles inside stations
The Maharashtra Metro Railway Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) has issued a statement instructing citizens to carry their bikes inside metro stations but not ride them inside the stations or while boarding the metro. This comes after a viral video showed a young man cycling through security checks and boarding the metro on his bike. The Maha-Metro clarified that while carrying bicycles inside metro stations and on the metro is permitted, riding them is not. The metro system in Pune has been running smoothly for a month, with an average of 65,822 passengers using it daily and generating a revenue of ₹30,766,481 in just one month.
After a video of a young man arriving at a metro station on his bicycle, proceeding through security checks, and boarding the metro on his bike went viral, the Maharashtra Metro Railway Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) issued a statement instructing citizens to carry their bikes inside metro stations but not ride them inside the stations or while boarding the metro.
The video in question – showing a bicycle-borne youth arriving at the metro station, clearing the security checks, cycling on the metro platform, and ultimately boarding the metro on his bike –was originally posted on the Instagram account of one Niket Jagtap. Ever since, the video has gone viral sparking a debate among social media users, with one section favouring the convenience of the cycling-metro combo whereas the other criticising the riding of bicycles on metro platforms, much less ferrying them onboard the metro. Ultimately, the Maha-Metro issued a statement clarifying that while carrying bicycles inside metro stations and on the metro is permitted, riding them is not.
Hemant Sonawane, executive director (administration and public relations), Maha-Metro, said, “Those carrying bicycles should stand in one corner and ensure that they do not cause any inconvenience to others. Riding bicycles on metro platforms is strictly prohibited as people might fall onto the tracks and get injured.”
In March 2022, the Maha-Metro had allowed citizens to carry bicycles inside metro stations and on metro trains to promote the use of non-motorised transport while expecting citizens to demonstrate a semblance of common sense and care for their fellow passengers. A cycle feeder service had also been started at the Sant Tukaram metro station.
Earlier on August 5, another video had gone viral wherein a man, rushing to catch the departing metro, was seen knocking on the cabin of the metro driver after which the metro halted to allow the man to board. The video, posted by ‘Pune City Life,’ had highlighted the metro’s responsiveness to passenger needs.
Revenue
Pune’s newly inaugurated metro system has been running smoothly for a month. The two new metro routes, Civil Court to Pimpri-Chinchwad and Garware College Station to Ruby Hall, has garnered strong support from the city’s residents. Over the past month, a daily average of 65,822 passengers have chosen the metro for their daily commute, generating a revenue of ₹30,766,481 in just one month.
