Poor frequency leads to fewer takers for Ruby & Majerhat lines
Times of India | 19 March 2024
Kolkata: The 5.4km new Metro corridor in the Ruby-New Garia and 8 km Joka-Majerhat stretches had less number of commuters during peak hours on Monday as compared to the East-West Metro thrown open to the public last Friday.
One of the key reasons is frequency. While the Ruby-New Garia stretch ran at a 20-minute frequency with two rakes being in operation, Joka-Majerhat had an even worse frequency of 50-minute intervals with one of the two rakes still being non-operational.
“Unless the frequency improves, I cannot rely on the Metro. If I buy a ticket and reach the platform, I may need to wait 50 minutes. I can reach my destination in that period,” said Arup Sandhukhan who commutes from Barisha to Dalhousie daily.
Sk Tajuddin, a resident of Dum Dum, who had come to Paribahan Bhavan-2 near Ruby intersection for a work, said, “I took the Metro along EM Bypass for the first time. It is easier to reach my home by taking the Metro. But the frequency of the Metro services in the Ruby-New Garia stretch needs to be improved. I can reach the nearest station of the North-South corridor by the time a Kavi Subhas-bound train comes at Hemanta Mukhopadhyay station.”
Some students of schools in Kasba were found availing the Metro. Sayam Chandra, a class XII student of DPS Ruby Park and a resident of Mukundapur, said, “When I came to school around 6.30 am, there was no Metro. I rode the Metro for the first time on Monday. But this service won’t be of much help till the waiting time to get a train is reduced.”
Sudipta Chakraborty, a Southern Avenue resident and an IT employee, said, “I took a ride in the new Metro today to see whether I could reach office in a short time. I came to Kavi Subhas station from Rabindra Sarobar and then took the Ruby-bound Metro. I will take a shuttle from Ruby intersection to reach my office in Sector V. The Ruby-New Garia Metro service is good but the 20-minute wait after the departure of a train is a problem.”