Commissioning of operations at the Chhoti Chaupar and Badi Chaupar stations will mark the completion of the first phase of Jaipur Metro. The project will still be far short of ridership estimates proposed at the detailed project report by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
The initial project report submitted in 2012 has expected the Metro corridor between Mansarovar and Badi Chaupar to draw a daily traffic of 2.1 lakh passengers in year 2014. However, the ridership at the operational part of the corridor between Mansarovar and Chandpole currently is around 17,000. Even as extension of operations to Badi Chaupar is expected to increase the traffic it will not be close to the target.
“Estimates were based on consideration that both the phases become operational and all the ancillary services and connecting facilities are duly developed. It is due to a shortfall at these that the metro has been ailing,” says a senior officer at Jaipur metro.
As the metro continues to fall short on its development and achievement targets, its viability gap keeps expanding. The construction cost of phase I has exceeded the expected construction cost by Rs 800 crore and the operational losses have also been increasing. It might take the Jaipur Metro even longer to bring the financial figures on track as doubts emerge on the basis of DMRC report.
The Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation during a recent survey for the second phase of the project has differed with DMRC report over population estimates and trip generation calculation formula. The fresh survey has helped the JMRC to reach a more ‘reliable’ base for the second phase, yet the first phase remains aligned to the initial figures.
Officials at the JMRC are though not convinced for a resurvey of the first phase. Even as they agree that DMRC has got the population estimates wrong, there is very little that they can do to correct the same.
EXPECTATION...
The initial project report submitted in 2012 has expected the Metro corridor between Mansarovar and Badi Chaupar to draw a daily traffic of 2.1 lakh passengers in year 2014. However, the ridership at the operational part of the corridor between Mansarovar and Chandpole currently is around 17,000.
