Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging citizens to prioritise public transport to conserve fuel and reduce pollution, ridership on the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has not shown any major spike in the days following the appeal, according to data accessed and analysed by The Tribune for the period between May 1 and May 22.
On May 10, the Prime Minister had appealed to citizens and businesses to adopt seven temporary measures aimed at strengthening “self-reliance and national resilience”. Among them was a call to reduce petrol and diesel consumption through carpooling, use of public transport and work-from-home arrangements wherever possible.
Around the same time, the Delhi Government also launched the “Metro Monday” initiative for three months to encourage greater use of Metro. However, official passenger journey figures suggest that the campaign and appeal have so far had limited impact on overall ridership trends.
Data shows that weekday passenger journeys on the Metro network largely remained within the usual range of 62 lakh to 67 lakh commuters. According to DMRC officials, weekday ridership generally fluctuates between 65 lakh and 70 lakh passengers, while weekends and holidays always witness marginally lower footfall, irrespective of the season.
The first Monday after the Prime Minister’s appeal, May 11, recorded 65.62 lakh passenger journeys. This was followed by 66.39 lakh journeys on May 18 and 67.65 lakh on May 19 — figures that remain broadly consistent with normal weekday usage patterns observed earlier in the month.
Previously, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation recorded its highest-ever single-day ridership on August 8, 2025, with passenger journeys touching an all-time peak of 81.8 lakh.
Transport experts and officials indicated that seasonal factors may also have influenced ridership patterns. Several schools across Delhi are currently closed for summer vacations, while colleges and universities are in the middle of examination periods, leading to reduced daily commuting among students — a major share of the Metro’s regular ridership base.
While there has been a marginal increase in weekday passenger journeys after the appeal, the data does not indicate any dramatic behavioural shift towards public transport use so far.
Experts said longer-term trends would provide a clearer picture of whether the government’s public transport push and awareness campaigns translate into sustained increases in Metro ridership.