The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has crossed its pre-coronavirus passenger journeys in the past six months, as between March and August this year, it witnessed a rise in passenger journeys by over 100 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2019.
The DMRC witnessed the highest growth in June at 114.3 per cent.
The DMRC data shows that passenger journeys in August 2019 stood at 5.24 million but reduced to 2.33 million in August 2021. They increased to 4.48 million in August 2022, then rose to 5.9 million in August this year, a rise of 112.5 per cent compared to August 2019, according to a report in The Times of India (TOI).
A DMRC official said, “The data shows the pattern of how the Metro regained and crossed its pre-coronavirus passenger journeys.”
In March, April, May, June, and July this year, passenger journeys increased by 109.9 per cent, 106.9 per cent, 111.3 per cent, 114.3 per cent, and 108.1 per cent, respectively, in comparison to the corresponding period in 2019, according to the TOI report.
The DMRC defines “passenger journey” as the number of Metro lines used by a passenger to complete his/her journey. However, the ridership data includes total tickets sold and Metro cards used by commuters to exit a station.
On September 5, the Delhi Metro recorded its highest ever passenger journeys at over 7.1 million. The previous highest passenger journey count stood at 6.99 million on August 29.
Anuj Dayal, principal executive director, corporate communications, DMRC, said, “This achievement is a testament to the efforts of DMRC’s dedicated staff, the support of Delhi-NCR residents and the commitment to providing safe, efficient, and eco-friendly transportation services. The DMRC continues to prioritise passenger safety and comfort while enhancing connectivity across Delhi-NCR. This milestone underscores our mission to provide accessible, reliable, and sustainable transportation solutions.”
The Delhi Metro witnessed a significant drop in footfall following the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. The Metro services were suspended from March 22, 2020 to September 6, 2020 and from May 10, 2021 to June 6, 2021.
