Pune: The arrival of the Palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Jagadguru Tukaram Maharaj in Pune on Sunday caused a dramatic increase in metro ridership.
With many main roads in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad closed by traffic police, residents opted for the metro, resulting in ridership doubling to over 200,000 passengers in a single day.
The metro service currently operates on two routes: Vanaz to Ramwadi and PCMC to Civil Court. Due to the Palkhi arrivals, many main roads in both cities were closed, making private vehicle travel inconvenient.
Consequently, the metro became the preferred mode of transportation. In June, the average daily ridership of the metro was around 100,000. However, on June 30, it soared to 199,437, including 83,426 passengers on the PCMC to Civil Court route and 116,011 passengers on the Vanaz to Ramwadi route. Additionally, daily metro revenue increased from ₹15 lakh to ₹24 lakh.
Dressed in white attire, adorned with traditional forehead markings, and carrying saffron flags, the Warkaris en route to Pandharpur were captivated by Pune's Metro system. Their devotional songs and chants echoed through the Metro, filling the air with the holy names of Lord Vitthal.
MahaMetro had anticipated the increase in passenger numbers due to the Palkhi arrivals and had made prior arrangements. Normally, metro services run from 6 AM to 10 PM, but on this occasion, services were extended by an hour, operating until 11 PM. The response from passengers was overwhelming.
The highest ridership was recorded at PCMC station with 19,919 passengers, followed by Pune Municipal Corporation station with 18,079, Shivajinagar station with 17,046, Pune Railway Station with 15,378, and Ramwadi station with 14,770 passengers. At the Civil Court station, 51,000 passengers changed routes.
Metro Ridership Records
August 6, 2023 – 131027
August 15, 2023 – 168012
June 30, 2024 – 199437
Metro Stations with Highest Traffic
PCMC – 19919
Pune Municipal Corporation – 18079
Shivajinagar – 17046
Pune Railway Station – 15378
Ramwadi – 14770