As the inauguration of the next stretch of Pune Metro Rail draws closer, Punekars have mixed feelings. They are happy that Metro service will expand from Garware College tod Ruby Hall Clinic and Phugewadi to Civil Court interchange, but the delay has already killed the enthusiasm for many who purchased properties in the past one year and have already paid one per cent cess for Metro service as additional stamp duty.
The city has already embarked late on the Metro journey. If Delhi first got the Metro trains in 2002 under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pune has been two decades late.
After its inauguration in March last year, the existing operational stretch from Vanaz to Garware College and Pimpri to Phugewadi witnessed a rush for initial months before the footfall drastically dropped. Most commuters found the service good, but in absence of long run and no feeder services for last-mile connectivity, the service is now reduced to organising various events and functions.
