Free ride plan will benefit losses-gripped Delhi Metro: Manish Sisodia

A day after former Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to agree to Delhi government's free travel for women proposal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that Delhi Metro was running in losses.

"I have written to Sreedharan sahib and told him that Delhi Metro is running in losses. Its carrying capacity is 40 lakh passengers every day but presently it is carrying only 25 lakh passengers," Deputy Chief Minister told news agency ANI.

Delhi government had recently announced its decision to give free travel to women passengers on Metro and buses.

Popularly known as the ''Metro Man,'' Mr Sreedharan wrote to PM Modi asking him not to agree to Delhi government's proposal.

Delhi government and the Centre have an equal partnership in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

"Our proposal for ''free travel for women on Metro'' will be beneficial for the Delhi Metro. Its ridership will increase and fares will come down. One of the reasons behind low ridership is high fare. If Delhi government pays the fare of women commuters, the Delhi Metro should be happy with it," Mr Sisodia said.

Read: 'Result Of Misunderstanding..,' Writes Manish Sisodia To E Sreedharan Over His Objection To Free Delhi Metro Rides For Women. Read Letter Here

Earlier, responding to Metro Man E Sreedharan's letter to PM Narendra Modi opposing free metro rides for women in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia expressed his pain on the former's view.

In a letter to Sreedharan, Sisodia wrote, "Pained and surprised by your decision to oppose the proposal of the Delhi government to bear the cost to provide free ridership for women in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation trains."

"By Delhi Metro's own admission, free ridership for women will increase women ridership by 50%. Delhi Metro should rejoice it and not oppose it. Even after providing the free ridership, the daily ridership will only go up by three lakhs on daily basis, which will still be less than the 40 lakhs capacity the facility was originally designed for," he added in his letter.