NEW DELHI: Former chief of Delhi Metro, E Sreedharan, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him not to accept Delhi’s government’s proposal of free Metro rides for women in the national capital.
The Metro Man, as he popularly known, said the ambitious plan by the Arvind Kejriwal government would drive Metro services towards inefficiency and financial dependence.“I would very earnestly request you sir not to agree to the Delhi government’s proposal of free travel to ladies in the Metro,” read the letter by the Metro Man.
He said that when the Metro services in the national capital were launched in 2002, it was decided that everyone would have to pay for their rides in the rapid transport system and no would be exempted. He also mentioned that even Metro officials and staff, including the Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), are bound by rules to pay for tickets when they travel on official duty.
“The DMRC is a joint venture of the Delhi government and Centre, and one shareholder cannot take an unilateral decision to give concession to one section of the community and push the Delhi Metro into bankruptcy,” he said.
He said the proposal would spread to other metros making them dependent on the state government for subsidies. ‘Let Delhi govt pay women for tickets’
The ‘Metro Man’ said if the Delhi govt is keen to help women riders, it can pay for their rides directly to them rather than making travel free on metro trains. He said if the proposal is accepted, similar demand would be made by more deserving sections, like students and the physically challenged