NAGPUR: Maha Metro Nagpur aims to complete Phase-II in a time-bound manner. And as part of this exercise, commercial operations on the Priority Section are being targeted for opening in the coming one and half years, said Maha Metro MD Shri Shravan Hardikar, at Metro Bhawan, here on 15th August 2025.

Shri Hardikar was addressing Maha Metro officials and employees on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day celebrations held at Metro Bhawan. The Managing Director unfurled tricolor in presence of the officials and employees. Shri Hardikar wished all employees of Nagpur, Pune, Thane and Navi Mumbai a Happy Independence Day.

The sector between Automotive Square and Lekha Nagar Metro Stations constitutes Priority Section of Maha Metro Nagpur. It stretches to 6.92 km and includes Pili Nadi, Khasra Fata, All India Radio, Khari Fata, Lok Vihar and Lakha Nagar Metro Stations.

Speaking further, Shri Hardikar said that the entire project and system wing was working hard in meeting the target and is committed to provide a safe, sustainable mode of transport to the people of Nagpur. ``Maha Metro has established a bench mark in providing safe and on-time mode of transport to citizens in these years,’’ he said.

``We have achieved a benchmark of average daily ridership of a lakh a day and simultaneously, have reached milestone of 10 crore cumulative ridership. I greet Operations and Maintenance Department and all other concerned officials for these twin feats,’’ he said. 

``Nagpur Metro Ridership will further increase if we integrate our services with other modes of transport, provide first and last mile connectivity and ensure that the commuter gets easy access to Metro Stations. We have to give commuter a single journey experience which could be achieved by providing a single ticketing facility,’’ he said.

But this requires great designing and planning skills, he cautioned and added that this could be achieved by working in close coordination with other transport modes. Unless we increase share of public transport, sustainable public transport services will not be created, he added. This would be a big challenge to the Strategic Planning and Multi-Modal Integration (MMI) teams of Nagpur Metro, he further said.

``Recently, Maha Metro Nagpur gave a detailed presentations on Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) to the Hon Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadanvis, Hon Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon District Guardian and Revenue Minister Shri Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The CMP aims to provide easy access to public transport to the rich as well as poor,’’ he added.

Only such measure would mean freedom in its true essence, Shri Hardikar said. Fare Box and Non-Fare Box Revenue are integral aspects of Nagpur Metro. Maha Metro is not just a project, but an institution in itself, with the commitment to follow values on day-to-day basis. The Maha Metro Nagpur employees and officials have upheld their values and this is, in essence, is service to the nation which will take us forward, he concluded. Officials and employees of all the departments attended the Independence Day event.