Pilot study to boost passenger ridership

In a first, the Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC) and Maha Metro in May launched a comprehensive pilot study aimed at boosting ridership on the Pune Metro and identifying solutions for last-mile connectivity.

- Dheeraj Bengrut

PUNE: The study will be carried out till the end of this year and will focus on understanding commuter behaviour, addressing barriers to metro adoption, and recommending actionable interventions across infrastructure and service delivery.

Led by Priya Nagaraj, CEO of PKC, along with Anita Kane, senior advisor at PKC and project head, the study is being jointly executed by the PKC, Centre for Environment Education (CEE) India, and Save Traffic Movement (STM). Whereas Maha Metro managing director Shravan Hardikar said, "We have tied up with the PKC for this ridership enhancement initiative, which combines behavioural research, community engagement, and infrastructure evaluation. The goal is to better understand why commuters are not opting for the metro, and what changes—such as feeder service alignment, improved infrastructure, or connectivity fixes—can help us change that."