Noida Metro crosses 30k daily ridership, highest since Covid outbreak

The Noida-Greater Noida Metro crossed the 30,000 mark of daily ridership earlier this week -- the highest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its operator the NMRC.

The metro recorded its highest daily ridership by carrying 30,620 passengers on April 4, the the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) said.

The average daily ridership stood at 23,266 in March 2022, 18,482 in February 2022 and 13,124 in January 2022 -- showing a steady rise in passengers, it said.

The NMRC said it is also exploring non-fare box revenue sources to increase earnings in order to provide improved and better services to commuters.

 

Non-fare box revenue refers to the income generated from sources other than passenger tickets.

"The NMRC has already stepped into co-branding and seven stations have been taken up by private parties under this," NMRC Managing Director Ritu Maheshwari said in a statement.

"Recently, our organisation invited two tenders, one for selection of vendor for event management of NMRC business policies and other for advertising/co-branding rights at metro station. The motive is to increase non-fare box revenues to Metro Corporation and provide business opportunities to private players," the officer said.

She said the NMRC intends to select vendors for event management and facilitation for its various business policies.

"To enhance non-fare box revenues, the NMRC has certain policies for birthday parties, pre-weddings and other similar 'celebrations on wheels', hiring NMRC's premises, including stations, trains and depot for a particular duration (film shooting), and leasing a part of station parking space for metro market to allow the public to utilise NMRC assets by paying the defined charges, Maheshwari said.

The Noida-Greater Noida Metro or the Aqua Line connects the twin cities of Gautam Buddh Nagar over a distance of 29.7 km through 21 stations.