Metro slashes fares by half on Sundays, holidays

Once implemented, a trip from Central Metro Station to Airport will cost only Rs 25 on Sundays and public holidays, lesser than the Rs 29 charged by MTC Deluxe bus. However, this discount is not applicable to those using trip passes and passes for unlimited rides, said a statement from the CMRL on Thursday.

The operator has announced this steep discount in fare – a step that many commuters and experts have been seeking for long – to increase ridership, especially on Sunday when it falls drastically to about half the number of passengers on weekdays.

Though CMRL is hesitant to reduce fare despite demand for it from various quarters, it is evident that it should take steps to increase patronage. While the detailed project report for the Phase 1 of Chennai Metro Rail had pegged the estimated daily patronage at 7.76 lakh, the actual number was only a little above one lakh when calculated as per the monthly ridership in September.

Over the years, the operator had announced several such measures to improve patronage, which met with considerable success. For instance, its decision to offer a 40 per cent reduction in fare two years ago had increased ridership by nearly 70 per cent.