The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday responded to “Metro Man” E. Sreedharan’s public opposition to the Delhi government proposal for free rides for women, saying the measure would not hurt Delhi Metro since the state authorities would bear the financial burden. The 87-year old Sreedharan, former managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and now principal adviser to the Delhi and Lucknow Metros, had on June 10 written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to agree to the AAP government’s proposal. “Sir, when the first section of the Delhi Metro was to be opened, I had taken a firm and conscious decision that no one would be given any travel concession,” he wrote. “Now, if ladies are to be given free travel concession in Delhi Metro, it would set an alarming precedent (for) all other Metros in the country,” Sreedharan wrote. He added: “By Delhi Metro’s own admission, free ridership for women will increase women’s ridership by 50 per cent.”Metro fares had almost been doubled in 2017.

Source: The Telegraph June 15, 2019 01:30 UTC