CHENNAI: Extending a special offer that would help tourists and even shoppers stepping out for a day of retail therapy, the Chennai Metro Rail on Saturday announced a special one-day tourist card for weekend trips that costs Rs 150. Using the card, commuters can take unlimited trips on the Metro Rail for one day on weekends.

The Rs 150 that the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is charging includes a refundable deposit of Rs 50, which will be refunded when the card is returned.

By opting for a Metro ride, the public can cut the waiting time to hail an auto or cab, which would be more due to the rains. They can also skip traffic, which would be high on weekends. By allowing unlimited trips for a day on a single economically-priced ticket, the Metro Rail has made commuting easy on the pocket as well.

This is the latest of several initiatives that the CMRL has been undertaking to improve ridership and its revenue.

The CMRL in April had witnessed a dip in passenger ridership by 5.95 lakh. About 80.87 lakh passengers had travelled in the Chennai Metro in April, while in March, it was 86.82 passengers.