Ridership on Aqua Line increases nearly fivefold within a week - Hindustan Times
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Ridership on Aqua Line increases nearly fivefold within a week

ByShafaque Alam, Noida
Sep 16, 2020 11:09 PM IST

Noida Metro Rail Corporation’s (NMRC) Aqua Line that connects Noida to Greater Noida has recorded nearly a fivefold increase in ridership since it resumed operations post-lockdown on September 7.

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The 29.70km Aqua Line, which connects Noida to Greater Noida, has 21 stations of which 15 are in Noida and six in Greater Noida.

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On Day One, when it ran curtailed operations, it had a ridership of 600 passengers. On September 12, full-fledged operations were resumed, and on Tuesday, it recorded a ridership of 2,882, although the previous day it had recorded 3,241.

Sandhya Sharma, NMRC deputy general manager, said, “From September 7-11, the metro services were available in the morning hours (7am to 11am) and evening hours (5pm to 9pm) with trains running at a frequency of 15 minutes. From September 12, trains ran through the day (6am to 10pm).”

Sharma said NMRC was following all Covid-19 safety standards essential for a safe Metro travel such as compulsory masks, temperature checks, social distancing norms and one-bag rule.

Praveen Mishra, executive director, NMRC, said, “We are observing all safety norms and the ridership is gradually increasing. We hope that more people will use the metro as they get a sense of confidence,” he said.

However, the post-lockdown ridership is still significantly lower than what it was before the pandemic arrived. On March 16, for example, the Line recorded a ridership of 19,064. It suspended operations following the Janta Curfew on March 22, three days before the nationwide lockdown was announced.

NMRC officials felt that since several business houses and academic institutions were yet to open, the ridership was yet to reach full potential.

On Tuesday, NMRC also organised a workshop to sensitise the staff towards the transgender community. The workshop was organised by an NGO that works closely with the community and is involved in generating awareness in society. The NMRC has recently dedicated its Sector 50 metro station to the transgender community and renamed it as “Rainbow Station.” The metro has also recently come out with vacancies for persons of the transgender community to provide them with employment opportunities.

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