Increase in the metro train frequency for the commuters in Chennai.
Posted on: 10/Feb/2021 10:35:38 AM - No. of views : (2447)
The commuters mainly those who are going to their offices in Chennai now want CMRL to increase the frequency of the metro trains. It is known that the number of persons travelling by metro trains in Chennai has increased now when compared to a few months back.
The commuters want the CMRL to revert back to the pre-Covid timings increasing the frequency from 7mintues to 5minutes to avoid crowding at the metro stations and inside the trains. Truth is that daily average patronage is only 38% of the 1.16lakhs pre-Covid ridership.
It must not be forgotten that in September 2020 metro trains resumed their operations after nearly 5 months of lockdown. The average daily patronage in September was just 14798 and it has tripled to 44000 in January 2021. During the peak hours, more than 50% of commutes board metro trains in Chennai. It is already known to us that the 9km metro line from Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar would open in February. The demand to increase the metro train frequency has come at this point of time. Till March 2020, CMRL operated metro trains at a frequency of every 5 minutes in the peak hours for the office going public and after the services resumed in September the metro trains have been operating at a frequency of 7 minutes.
For the sake of maintaining social distance inside the metro trains, CMRL also converted its first class coaches to women�s only coaches. The fact is metro trains have been running with lots of commuters (as more people have been going to their offices) in the peak hours now and there is no social distancing inside the trains.
As per a regular commuter who travels from Thirumangalam to LIC for her work, it was clear that the metro trains are running full in the peak hours with no social distancing. She added that the commuters feared about the Covid-19 infection when travelling in the crowded coach. For the sake of passenger�s safety, CMRL must increase the frequency of the metro trains in the peak hours.
Now, the metro stations like airport, Thirumangalam, and Alandur have been recording maximum footfalls due to office goers and domestic air passengers increasing ridership. The commuters also want the first class coaches back so that daily safe rides would be possible. Point is that passengers spend twice the amount for tickets to travel in the first class coaches comfortably.
