NEW DELHI: Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) report on Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) noted that the total ridership of DMRC network (Phase-I, Phase-II and Phase-III) in 2019-20 was estimated at 53.47 lakh. Against this, the actual ridership of DMRC was 27.79 lakh (2019-20) — 51.97 per cent of the projected ridership.
CAG said that DMRC should ensure at the project planning stage itself that Detailed Project Reports are prepared with realistic assumptions. “In case of Phase-III specifically, as against the projected ridership of 20.89 lakh in 2019-20 from initially sanctioned four corridors, the actual ridership was only 4.38 lakh, which is 79.02 per cent lower than the projected ridership as per detailed project report.
Similarly, in case of NCR/other extensions, the actual ridership on these corridors was 15.12 per cent to 87.63 per cent lower than the projected ridership,” the CAG said in a performance audit report on Implementation of Phase-III Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System by the DMRC. The report was presented in Parliament on Thursday.
“As per the DPRs of Phase-III and NCR extensions, the total ridership of entire Delhi Metro network (Phase-I, Phase-II and Phase-III) after completion of the project in 2016 was estimated at 43.79 lakh (53.47 lakh in 2019-20). Whereas, after completion of entire Phase-III and NCR extensions, except for a small portion of Dwarka-Dhansa Bus Stand (1.2 km), the actual ridership of DMRC was 27.79 lakh (2019-20) only i.e., 51.97 per cent of the projected ridership,” the CAG said in its report.
The ridership of Dwarka-Najafgarh (Line-9) section was 11,972 (November 2019) after its opening in October 2019, whereas ridership in Dwarka Mor and Dwarka station reduced by 11,074 from September to November 2019 indicating that only 898 new passengers (0.92 per cent as per DPR projected ridership of 97,070) were added after incurring an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,065 crore and recurring significant operation and maintenance expenditure.
Similarly, after the opening of the Mundka-Bahadurgarh section in June 2018 and the actual ridership of 17,304, there was a reduction of 5,762 in ridership of the existing Mundka station during May and July 2018. Thus, only 11,542 new passengers (i.e., 10.93 per cent of projected ridership of 1,05,6,00) were added after incurring an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,991 crore.