 "Fares announced for Noida Metro's Aqua Line, inauguration date awaited")
The Noida Metro Rail Coropration (NMRC) Friday announced fares for its soon-to-be-opened Aqua Line connecting Noida and Greater Noida, with minimum being Rs 9 and the maximum Rs 50.
Commuters could buy QR-coded paper tickets or use smart cards on the 29.7-km-long network, officials said.
They said smart card users will get a 10 per cent concession on fares.
A senior official said the NMRC has already written to the Uttar Pradesh government, seeking a date for inauguration of the metro corridor.
The announcement was made after the 18th board meeting of the NMRC under the chairmanship of Sanjay K Murthy, also additional secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), and in presence of NMRC managing director Alok Tandon.
"All stations are ready for commercial operations. During the first year, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will operate and maintain the Aqua Line," NMRC executive director P D Upadhyaya said.
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There are a total of 21 stations on the corridor, 15 of them in Noida and six in Greater Noida.
The Aqua Line would run between the Sector 71 station in Noida and the Depot Station in Greater Noida.
The board was also informed that work has begun on modifying the routes of the NMRC-operated buses in the city to ply them as metro feeder buses.
"In line with this, three new routes have also been added between Greater Noida West to the Sector 51 metro station and the City Centre metro station. Similarly, feeder buses have been started from metro stations to the residential societies in Sector 50, 51 and 76 and nearby areas," he said.
Also, tenders have been floated to begin e-rickshaw services to provide last-mile connectivity to passengers from metro stations to a distance up to four kms.
According to an official statement, travelling one station would cost Rs 10 on an QR-coded ticket and Rs 9 via smart card; 2 km would cost Rs 15 on ticket and Rs 13.50 on smart card; 3 to 6 km would cost Rs 20 via ticket and Rs 18 on smart card; 7 to 9 km would cost Rs 30 on ticket and Rs 27 on smart card.
"Travelling more than 10 stations but less than or 16 stations would cost Rs 40 via ticket but Rs 36 via smart card; going beyond 16 stations would cost Rs 50 via ticket but Rs 45 via smart card," it said.
The board was also informed that the 49th battalion of the UP PAC has been entrusted with the responsibility of security on the Aqua Line, while some private security personnel will also be deployed.
"The security personnel are being trained by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards the Delhi Metro," Upadhyaya said.
He said the security personnel would be provided accommodation in 800 residential houses of the Noida and the Greater Noida Authority which will be purchased by the NMRC.
A detailed project report (DPR) for a 14.96-km-long metro rail corridor between Noida Sector 51 and Greater Noida's Knowledge Park V was approved by the Greater Noida Authority in 2016 and sent to the state government.
"During a meeting of the Greater Noida Authority on December 2, 2018, approval was given to this Rs 26.82 billion project and the NMRC was appointed its nodal agency," the statement said.
Also, the board has approved a report by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee on the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, that would benefit 750 regular employees of the NMRC.
"This would translate into a 20 per cent increase in the salaries of the NMRC employees," Upadhyaya said.
On December 21, the NMRC had received a final and mandatory safety inspection approval to launch commercial operations of the Aqua Line.