NEW DELHI: In an interview on October 14, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (IC) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, announced that the fares for students and senior citizens travelling in Delhi metro would be reduced soon. The concession is offered as a technology-based solution has been developed and implemented for the same.
According to Puri, the central government will extend the relief to passengers of other categories after public consultation.
“We are ready with technology-based solution to provide relief to students and senior citizens travelling in metro trains. The central government will implement it appropriately,” Puri said.
The extension of fare reduction for women is not opposed by Puri, who said that concession should be offered to women only if necessary.
In June this year, Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, announced free-travel for women in Delhi Metro and buses in the national capital.
“Our scheme will also cover most girl students and female senior citizens. We want to implement it through technology-based solution, so that there is no misuse of the facility,” he said.
A technology-based solution will assure that benefits reach the targeted group and is not misused, Puri added. Countering the claim that metro ridership has dipped since the fare hike, Puri said the footfall has rather “trebled”.
“The ridership was 24-25 lakh then (before fare hike) but it has trebled since then. It is around 60 lakh now and going up by the day,” he said.