Daily Metro ridership dipped to 25.7 lakh in 2017-18: Outcome Budget

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told the House that the daily average ridership of the Delhi Metro which was targeted to reach 30 lakh in 2017-18 dipped to 25.7 lakh till December. Sisodia revealed the figures while presenting the Outcome Budget in the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday.

The ridership had gone down in the backdrop of the proposed second fare hike. However, the Budget report stated that the figures improved in January and February this year, with a ridership of 26.85 lakh and 26.98 lakh, respectively.

"The daily ridership of Delhi Metro which was 28 lakh in 2016-17 and was targeted to reach 30 lakh in 2017-18, actually reduced to 25.7 lakh," said Sisodia while reading the Outcome Budget in the ongoing session.

"Before proposing the next Budget, our government has decided that if the purpose of the Outcome Budget is to ensure accountability in government expenditure, then we must communicate to the members of this august House, a detailed status of achievements up to December 2017, against Outcome Budget 2017-18," the Deputy CM said.

However, in comparison, the average daily ridership of DTC and cluster buses increased up to 41.90 lakh per day against the target of 40 lakh per day, he said.

Keeping in view the city's fight with air pollution, only 37.27 lakh Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates were issued against the target of 55 lakh for 2017-18.

Also, only seven new bus depots were constructed against the target of 11 bus depots for 2017-18.