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Chandni Chowk earnings beat Rajiv Chowk in Metro’s festive rush

None | BySidhartha Roy, New Delhi
Oct 19, 2008 01:03 AM IST

In the past two weeks, the Chandni Chowk station has become Metro’s highest revenue earner, leaving behind the usually busiest Rajiv Chowk station, reports Sidhartha Roy.

The festival of lights, Diwali, is 10 days away and the Delhi Metro is already witnessing a huge rush of shoppers. In the past two weeks, the Chandni Chowk station has become Metro’s highest revenue earner, leaving behind the usually busiest Rajiv Chowk station.

HT Image
HT Image

“There is a lot of rush at the Chandni Chowk station compared to the last few years. The station is located right next to Chandni Chowk market and the rush is thanks to Diwali shoppers thronging the market,” said Anuj Dayal, spokesman of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

Dayal said the market has become much more accessible due to Metro connectivity. “The whole area has seen a revival as many more people can now go there for shopping,” he said.

According to figures provided by DMRC, the Chandni Chowk station has earned Rs 4.48 lakh from October 11 to October 15, which is more than the revenue collected at Rajiv Chowk (4.44 lakh), Dilshad Garden (3.41 lakh) and Shahdara (3.34 lakh) — Metro stations that are normally the busiest and earn the most revenue.

“The increase in revenue earned per day has been 15 per cent,” Dayal said. “The average earning from October 1 to October 10 is Rs 3.62 lakh,” he said. The daily ridership between 11-15 October is 46,600, an additional load of 6,000-7,000 passengers daily when compared to the ridership in September – 40,200.

“We are witnessing an increase of 60 per cent in the daily footfalls at the market in the pre-Diwali season. The increase is thanks to Delhi Metro and also the better traffic situation after cycle rickshaws were removed from the roads,” said Sanjay Bhargava of Chandni Chowk Sarva Vyapar Mandal.

“Before the Metro came, Chandni Chowk was inaccessible and many shoppers avoided it due to the bad traffic condition,” he said.

Thanks to the Metro, the number and profile of shoppers visiting the walled city has also changed. Bhargava said that the market was dependant on wholesale buyers and customers from smaller cities and towns in north India, but now more Delhiites have started coming here. “Now we get high-end customers, who wouldn’t have driven up to this place earlier,” he said.

Bhargava, however, complained that the station needs better upkeep and more security at the entrance.

Dayal said that in view of the rush, the station has been given X-Ray baggage screening machine and two additional automatic fare collection gates.

“Three pre-vended token counters will be opened, one additional door frame metal detector will be installed and three customer facilitation agents will be deployed,” he said.

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