For the first time, the maximum fare for Chennai Metro’s phase I project will come down from ₹70 to ₹60.
If a commuter travels with a smart card (that offers a 10% discount), the maximum fare for travel from Washermanpet to Chennai airport — the longest distance of 21 km covered in the phase I project — will be ₹54.
This is made possible because of the opening of the new stretch from AG-DMS to Washermanpet, highly-placed sources told The Hindu .
Longest route
Chennai Metro’s fare ranges from ₹10 to ₹70. So far, the longest route is from Chennai Central to Chennai airport via Koyambedu, covering nearly 24 km, for which passengers pay the maximum fare of ₹70.
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But now, a passenger can travel from Central to Chennai airport via Anna Salai through Government Estate, LIC and Thousand Lights — a distance of nearly 18 km — paying just ₹50.
With a smart card, a passenger will pay even lesser, just ₹44, sources said.
More patronage likely
“A passenger can still travel from Washermanpet to Chennai airport or Chennai Central to Chennai airport through Koyambedu and will pay only ₹54 or ₹44 respectively. This is because the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) gate where passengers swipe their smart cards will take only the cost of the shorter route,” a source said. This, officials say, will drastically increase the number of people travelling by Metro.
At present, about 55,000 people use the Metro on a daily basis. “With the opening of the 10 km stretch from AG-DMS to Washermanpet and the slight reduction in fares, we expect a lot more people to take the Metro,” another source said.
