Exorbitant fares keep away daily wagers from Metro ride

C Shivakumar
Chennai:

The exorbitant fares of Chennai Metro Rail in the 10 km stretch
between Koyambedu metro station to Alandur has kept away many
commuters from trying out their maiden ride on the air-conditioned
train.



A huge crowd barged in when the officials declared it open for the
public around noon, but many were surprised once they came to know
about the fare.



Yet the curiosity did not deter many from buying out the smart cards
that were available.



The minimum fare is Rs 10 and the maximum is Rs 40. “I wanted to
travel but the fares are exorbitant. My whole day salary is Rs 100. If
I give Rs 40 to get a ticket to Alandur then I will have to starve
full day,” said Murugan, a vegetable cart pusher.



Murthy, a vegetable merchant who also wanted to be the first to try
out Chennai Metro, walked out of the queue after getting to know about
the fares. “If it is rs 20 to alandur, it is affordable,” he said. “I
will come some other time to try it out,” he said.



“Chennai Metro is only for the upper middle class, said Yashwant, who
shared his experiences of Chennai Metro while comparing it with other
Metros on which he travelled. “The fares here are exorbitant. Charging
Rs 40 for 10 km stretch is too high. In Delhi metro the fares are Rs
17 for a 7 Km ride,” he said.


Dashageer, a bsinessman, is quite happy with the Chennai Metro. “The
fare is okay and it eases away the congestion. It took only 19 minutes
to complete the 10km stretch which while through road lasts for nearly
30 minutes. Even the auto fares are quite high between the stretch,”
justified Dhasthageer.

 When Express queried whether the fares would be revised, a official
said that it is a policy decision. It has to be taken from the top,"
he added.

A senior official justified the fare and said that it is way low when
compared to international fares. He said even the Delhi Metro is
planning to hike the fares. “If you want the quality of service then
one has to pay for it,” he said.

He said the bus services don’t offer quality service neither it has
quality bus stations. “we have both. Then fares are still low due to
subsidies by the government,” he said.