Noida Metro Update: The Noida-Greater Noida Aqua Line Metro has achieved its highest single-day ridership of approximately 23,000 commuters post Covid lockdown while the average daily ridership stood more than 17,000. According to the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC), cleanliness measures and increased confidence of the public in the public transporter resulted in the rise in ridership. NMRC Managing Director Ritu Maheshwari was quoted in a PTI report saying as a result, in the previous week i.e. from 11 October 2021 to 17 October 2021, the Corporation achieved a week-wise average daily ridership of 17,289 passengers. Besides, Noida Metro also achieved its highest ridership of 22,996 commuters on a single day post Covid lockdown on October 11, she said.
According to Maheshwari, the NMRC had resumed metro services from June 9 this year after relaxation of partial curfew in Gautam Buddh Nagar. Initially, daily ridership of passengers remained “very low” and week-wise average daily ridership of only 2,877 commuters could be achieved. However, necessary measures are being taken by the Corporation to prevent the Covid-19 spread, the officer claimed. After each trip, all NMRC trains are fully sanitised. The stations, platform as well as other ‘contact areas’ such as AFC gates, call buttons of lifts, handle belts of staircases and escalators, POS machines, etc., are sanitised at regular intervals, Maheshwari said.
At each Noida Metro station, a passenger screening team is deployed to check body temperature, face masks, and hand sanitization of passengers. In station areas as well as inside trains, signages and markings are provided for maintaining proper social distance amongst passengers, she said. Due to various steps taken by Noida Metro, the commuters’ confidence has been growing gradually, Maheshwari said. Thus, Noida Metro commuters are advised to use the metro services without any fear or inhibition, the NMRC MD added.