With over 26,500 commuters, Noida Metro records highest post-COVID lockdown ridership

With 26,554 passengers, the Noida-Greater Noida Metro has achieved its highest single-day ridership post the COVID-19 lockdown, while the average daily ridership stands at nearly 17,000, officials said on Tuesday.

The feat was achieved on November 15 (Monday), Noida Metro Rail Corporation's (NMRC's) Managing Director Ritu Maheshwari said. The previous single-day highest ridership of 22,996 on October 20, according to the NMRC. Sector-51 had the highest footfall of 10,035 passengers, it said.

''The NMRC is taking all necessary measures to ensure a safe journey for Aqua Line commuters like passenger screening at the station entrance and proper sanitisation of all passenger circulation areas in trains and stations,'' Maheshwari said.

''This has inculcated confidence amongst the passengers. Due to which aqua line ridership has shown continuous growth in the last few months and the NMRC achieved its post lockdown highest single-day ridership of 26,554 passengers yesterday i.e. on November 15,'' she said in a statement.

In pre-pandemic times, the NMRC was having a month-wise average daily ridership of 25,920 passengers in February 2020, she said. The NMRC passenger services were suspended as per the government guidelines from March 22, 2020 to September 6, 2020 in the first lockdown and May 1 to June 8 this year in the second lockdown, she added.

After resuming train services on June 9 this year post-second lockdown, the daily average ridership had reduced to 4,904 passengers, the officer noted.

For better monitoring of passengers, openings of metro station entry/exit gates, as well as operation of lifts, were restricted, Maheshwari said. "However, keeping in view the popular public demand, more entry/exit gates and lifts were opened in October 2021 to facilitate the smooth passage of metro users at various stations while ensuring all the COVID-19 norms, including social distancing," she added.

Regarding station entrance, both exit and entry gates will be kept open at the 10 stations of Sector - 51, Sector -50, Sector 76, NSEZ, Sector- 83, Sector- 137, Sector 142, Knowledge Park-II, Pari Chowk and the Depot station, the NMRC said.

However, only one station exit and entry gate will be kept open at the remaining 11 stations of Sector 101, Sector 81, Sector 143, Sector - 144, Sector 145, Sector- 146, Sector - 147, Sector - 148, Alpha -1, Delta -1, GNIDA Office, it added.

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