Pune’s Metro system is at an important point right now. There are many new route plans waiting for approval from the Central government. Some of these routes, like Ramwadi to Wagholi and Vanaz to Chandni Chowk, got the green light from the state government in March 2024.
However, there’s a problem—daily ridership hasn’t grown much. In February 2024, only about 1.53 lakh people used the Metro each day. This means that more people aren’t using the Metro, which makes it hard to justify expanding the system.
There are five more new routes that are being looked at by the Central government. Local leaders are worried about how long it will take to get these approvals. They believe that if construction is delayed, it will hurt the city’s transportation needs. It might take three to four years after getting approval for these new routes to start running. Regular commuters are anxious because they already have limited options for getting around.
Even though Pune Municipal Corporation hasn’t had elected leaders for three years, it’s still working hard to help with these new Metro routes. They’ve been giving the clearances needed for the proposed routes. This shows that even without an elected body, the Corporation is committed to improving Pune’s transportation.
The current situation shows that getting approvals and making things happen can be tricky. The state government’s approval is a big step, but the Central government’s approval is still needed. The low ridership numbers show that there’s a real need for more routes to help people use the Metro more.
If these new projects are completed, they could change how public transportation works in Pune. They’d help fill the gaps in connectivity and give people better access to new areas that are growing fast.
But, the long wait for these projects and the current challenges mean that careful planning is very important. Authorities need to think about how to expand the Metro system while also making sure it’s built on time and works well for passengers.
It’s important to balance the need for more routes with the reality of how long it takes to build them and make sure they’re easy and convenient for everyone to use.
