Here’s why residents of Ahmedabad are in love with Metro service

Eight months after the Ahmedabad leg of the metro became fully functional, the service saw its peak on May 28 when 1.07 lakh people rode the metro — the highest on a single day — as the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) extended its running hours till 1 am to meet the demand due to the IPL final being held at the Narendra Modi stadium in Motera.

The comfortable and seamless experience of the Ahmedabad metro is a boon for commuters dealing with traffic congestion. For owners of two-wheelers, the metro pillars are where they catch some shade and chill. “Metro is a respite from the summer heat,” Yeshti Patel, a 19-year-old AMC MET college medical student from Thaltej, told this newspaper.

GMRC has announced that a possible trial of Phase II of the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project, which emphasises the extension of the North-South corridor route to Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, will be conducted in June. However, the residents also suggest an extension deep into the west to include South Bopal and other parts. “More stations and increased frequency should be there. It should also extend to South Bopal. Many people are moving to that area, which is developing at a fast pace. People are getting convenient in the metro,” Mumbai-based Riddhi Shah, a second-time user of the metro, says. The homemaker also expressed optimism in the metro helping to reduce the notorious traffic congestion in Ahmedabad.

Metro relieves students and workers from the hassle of long, tedious and time-consuming journeys.
Raju Shah, a 20-year-old graphic designer from Vastral Gam, who has been comforted by the metro said, “It’s not hectic like a bus. I used to travel one hour in the BRTS, from Vastral to Gujarat University. But now I get there in only 20 minutes”.

There are even car owners own have abandoned their vehicles for the metro. “Metro travel is good. I like it more than my car”, says Abhishek Shah, a chartered accountant, who takes the metro religiously.

Compared to other forms of public transport in the city, the metro stands out in the minds of the public. Though some likened it to the bus rapid transit system, which also provides excellent travelling services, the fact that there are no traffic issues stands out when it comes to the metro.
However, one deterrent for people who stay far from the metro route is inadequate parking spaces. “I stay far from the metro station, at Nirant Chowkdi. It’s usually difficult to commute to the station since I cannot go there with my two-wheeler because of the parking space problem,” says Krish Bithva.

(Tankeh Kingsley Webora is an intern at The Indian Express)