Fall in metro ridership: AAP seeks explanation from Puri

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party has sought an explanation from Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over the recent media report of fall in Delhi metro ridership following fare hikes, claiming that the move has led to increase of pollution and impacted the economically weaker sections of the society.

According to a recent media report, the average daily ridership of the Delhi metro has dropped by over 3 lakh.

Reacting to it, the AAP

has sought an explanation from Puri, alleging that apart from directly affecting the

revenues of Delhi Metro, the fare hike has also forced the metro commuters to switch to other modes of transport "which is causing an increase in the air pollution levels in Delhi."

"Higher Metro tariffs also directly affect the travel pattern of the economically weaker sections of the society," the AAP said in a statement.

"The Aam Aadmi Party would like to know from

the Union Minister of State

for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri, who is these days taking a keen interest in politics of Delhi, what is

his response to the fact that

following the twin Metro

hike in 2017, average daily Metro ridership has fallen by over three lakh daily?" the party said.