Commuters switch to Metro as Delhi restricts non-BS-VI vehicles
Passenger boardings on the Delhi Metro rose to 80.54 lakh on Monday following new vehicle emission restrictions.
Commuters in the National Capital Region (NCR) are increasingly using the Delhi Metro after restrictions on petrol and diesel vehicles not meeting BS-VI emission standards came into effect on November 1. According to The Indian Express, the restrictions are part of Delhi's Winter Action Plan, which bars certain vehicles registered outside Delhi from entering the city.
Metro ridership saw a sharp increase following the implementation of the rules. Passenger boardings reached 80.54 lakh on Monday, the first working day after the restrictions, up from 72.24 lakh the previous Monday. The Yellow Line recorded 21.27 lakh boardings, while the Blue Line recorded 21.23 lakh boardings.
The shift has impacted travel times and costs for many. Law associate Aditya Garg, who previously drove from Faridabad to Defence Colony, now spends approximately Rs 300 on a round trip involving autorickshaws and the Metro. He noted that his car journey took 30 minutes, whereas the Metro and autorickshaw route takes 50-55 minutes.
Some commuters reported higher expenses, such as engineer Shubham Gupta, who said cab charges for his trip from Green Park to Noida rose from Rs 400-450 to around Rs 500. Others, like engineer Ansh Dutta, have adjusted their office timings to avoid peak-hour travel.
While some residents, such as social impact consultant Mridula Sharma, expressed satisfaction with the Metro, others faced difficulties. Musician Arjun Pratap Chauhan said carrying musical equipment like a guitar and speaker is difficult on the Metro and that security personnel trouble him during equipment checks.