In the next two and a half years, India's metro system will become the second largest in the world, claims Hardeep Puri

In the next two and a half years, India's urban metro system is expected to surpass that of the United States, according to Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. He also recognized that the last ten years had seen amazing advancements in urban metro transportation.

Puri emphasized the notable rise in metro ridership during his speech on Sunday, May 19, at an event held in the nation's capital. of which one crore traveler passes through each day, with 73 lakh passing through the Delhi Capital Region alone.

"On this day, the fact must be reiterated that 1 crore people board the Metro every day, and out of the 1 crore people, 73 lakh is the ridership of Delhi Capital Region," Puri said.

He noted the ease of travel within the city despite rapid urbanization. He announced that currently, 945 kilometers of metro network is operational in the country. Additionally, construction work of an additional 1,000 kilometers is in progress, which is targeted to be completed shortly.

He further added, "Today, even though the city's population is growing rapidly, it is still easy to travel from one part of the city to another within a reasonable time. More people are adopting urban transportation."

Puri credited the visionary initiative of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for launching the metro system in 2002. And underlined its transformative impact.

Former Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi praised the expansion of the Delhi Metro. and acknowledged its role in reducing traffic congestion. He said, "In the 1970s, there was a lot of traffic chaos and jams. The way Delhi Metro is expanding under the central government is commendable."