Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built metro systems in the country, was thrown open to public on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje flagged off the inaugural train on the 9.6-km-long route from Mansarovar to Chandpole.
Ms. Raje along with ministers, officers and supporters travelled in the train from Mansarovar to Chandpole and alighted at Civil Lines station while returning.
After the opening ceremony, the Jaipur Metro commenced its regular commercial operations from all its 9 stations -- Mansarovar, New Aatish Market, Vivek Vihar, Shyam Nagar, Ram Nagar, Civil Lines, Railway Station, Sindhi Camp and Chandpole.
“After this, we will try to connect the next part of the project with it,” Ms. Raje told reporters at the Civil Lines station.
She visited Mansarovar station where Jaipur Metro CMD N. C. Goel briefed her about the functioning and operations.
People in buildings along the metro line were seen greeting and waving hands as the train undertook its first official journey.
Large number of locals queued up at the ticket counters to enjoy their first ride in the Jaipur metro.
As per the time table issued by the JMRC for first three months, trains will operate from Mansarovar to Chandpole and from Chandpole to Mansarovar at a frequency of 10 to 15 minutes from 6.45 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
The fare structure varies for peak and off-peak hours. They have been fixed in multiples of Rs.5 and a flat discount of Rs.5 has been offered for off-peak hours. For the first six months, off-peak fares will be charged throughout the day. Automatic fare collection system has been installed to collect and manage the fare revenue.
To encourage people to travel in the metro, up to 15 per cent discount has been offered on smart cards, which can be recharged using Jaipur Metro website or Ticket Vending Machines installed at all stations. - PTI
