New Delhi, Dec 11: Delhi Metro will cover the whole of the capital in the next ten years and its effort would be to keep the fares minimal to make the modern transport system “very popular” and “affordable” to all.
The Phase-III, work on which has already started, will cover 103-km, the Phase-IV will bring another 104-km of the capital under the Metro map and a Phase-V may be required as the city is expanding, Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan said.
He also said Metro is the only viable and cheapest mode of modern transport network that would reduce congestion in densely populated cities of the country.
“Metro should cover the whole of the city. For this,Phase-III should be completed and then Phase-IV should also be completed. 2021 is our target (for connecting entire Delhi) that means another 10 years,” he told PTI in an interview.
Asked how much of Delhi would the Metro cover, he said:“More or less the entire city we would cover. The city is expanding and population is increasing.”
By the time the Phase-IV is completed in 2021, Sreedharan said, the Delhi Metro may have to redraw its plans as Phase-V would be required.
“It has to be a continous Metro building in Delhi to cope up with the population increase,” he said.
However, the ‘Metro Man' ruled out increase in passenger fare for the next one year unless the inflation is so high that “we have to make up for our expenditure.”
“We have not thought of any revision. I don't think we will raise the fare for another one year unless the inflation is so high that we have to make up for our expenditure,” he said in response to a query in this regard.
“We have no intention to increase the fares as it is although many people are prepared to pay more. We want to make it very popular, affordable so that people come away from the roads to the Metro,” Sreedharan said.
