Mumbai: A month after the first phase of Metro 3 between Aarey JVLR and Bandra Kurla Complex was thrown open to commuters, the overall ridership on the line has surpassed the 600,000-mark. The average ridership per day, however, stands at around 20,000, indicating commuters largely comprised joy riders.
According to estimates drawn up by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), the entire 33.5-km Metro 3 corridor, once completed, will cater to 1.3 million riders per day. But data from MMRC shows that current ridership on the 12.44-km stretch between Aarey JVLR and Bandra Kurla Complex is way lesser than the projected figure. Between October 7 and November 5, the aqua line catered to 612,913 commuters.
“The highest ridership was recorded on the first Sunday following the commencement of commercial operations – that is on October 13 – when it reached 27,108,” said an MMRC official.
The most popular rides during weekdays are between Bandra Kurla Complex and Marol Naka, and between SEEPZ and Marol Naka. This has made Marol Naka the busiest station on the corridor. The Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar metro line, which intersects with Metro 3 at Marol Naka, has also witnessed a rise in commuters by around 4,000 passengers per day.
MMRC currently runs nine trains on the aqua line, with a gap of 7.30 minutes between consecutive services. The gap will be reduced to 6.40 minutes if there is consistent demand, said officials. In the last two weeks, the corporation has started selling tickets through its website, while the rollout of National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) has been pushed back to December 2024.
MMRC is in the process of leasing out retail spaces at the 10 operational metro stations. Bids for the same have been received and they will be finalised shortly. “Retail stores should be up and running within the next couple of months,” said an MMRC official.
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