From praise to pushback: What Delhi metro commuters said on PM's save fuel push

A reality check across eight Delhi Metro stations found commuters responding unevenly to the Metro Monday campaign. While some said they had cut private vehicle use to save fuel, others pointed to crowding, weak last-mile links and doubts over political optics.

In Short

• Delhi Metro witnessed surge in ridership amid Centre's public transport push
• Several passengers said they cut private vehicle use after PM Modi's appeal
• Those accustomed to private vehicles were still reluctant to change

As Delhi rolled out its "Metro Monday" campaign today amid the ongoing West Asia crisis and concerns over rising fuel consumption, India Today conducted a reality check across eight key metro stations in the national capital to gauge whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to adopt public transport was having any real impact on commuters.

The ground report, conducted at Dhaula Kuan, Rajiv Chowk, ITO, Mandi House, Nawada, Govindpuri, Dwarka Mor and Nirman Vihar metro stations, found a mix of support, practicality and skepticism among daily commuters. While many said they had already been relying on the metro network, several others claimed they had consciously reduced the use of private vehicles after the Prime Minister's appeal to save fuel and shift towards public transport.

The campaign came under the broader "Metro Monday" initiative, under which citizens have been encouraged to use metro and other public transport services every Monday instead of private vehicles to conserve fuel and promote sustainable urban mobility. In support of the initiative, several ministers, MPs and public representatives were also seen travelling by metro.

To manage the expected rush, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) added six extra trains and introduced 24 additional trips on Monday. Officials said the arrangement would continue every Monday, and more services could be added depending on passenger demand. The DMRC said the move was aimed at ensuring safe and convenient travel while encouraging fuel conservation and environment-friendly transport.

The initiative also followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's broader push to reduce petrol and diesel consumption amid tensions in West Asia. The Prime Minister has urged citizens to increase the use of metro rail services, electric vehicles, carpooling, railway parcel movement and work-from-home arrangements wherever possible.

WHAT COMMUTERS SAID?

At Nawada metro station, several commuters said the Prime Minister's appeal had visibly increased metro ridership.

"I have consciously reduced its usage and preferred public transport in the national interest and for fuel conservation," Vijay, who owns a private vehicle, said.

Another commuter, Gautam, said people were increasingly turning towards metro travel after the appeal, while Ram Krishna said public statements by the Prime Minister tend to have a significant influence on citizens.

Suresh, too, said the impact was visible in the form of increased crowding inside metro coaches, although he clarified that he had already been a regular metro commuter.

At Nirman Vihar metro station, Rajeev Sharma said he had largely stopped using his car after the Prime Minister appealed for greater use of public transport. "My car is parked at home now, and I am travelling by metro. It benefits both the country and ordinary citizens," he said.

Another passenger, Deepak Dubey, said he owns a Honda City but "now prefers metro travel because it saves both time and fuel".

At Dhaula Kuan metro station, where office-goers and college students formed a large section of commuters, reactions were more nuanced.

Several passengers appreciated Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's decision to travel by metro to promote public transport, but many also questioned "whether political leaders genuinely adopt such practices regularly or only for optics".

Ruchika, a South Campus student, said Delhi's worsening pollution levels made it necessary for more people to adopt public transport. Sukant, another commuter, praised the metro for helping save fuel and providing relief from the summer heat, but flagged poor last-mile connectivity in several parts of the city.

He cited the lack of convenient public transport connectivity between Kirti Nagar and Mayapuri metro stations as an example.

Sunita, who works at South Campus, said she had always travelled by metro and believed "more private vehicle owners should do the same considering Delhi's pollution crisis".

At ITO metro station, several daily commuters said they regularly preferred metro travel because it saved both time and fuel. One commuter said he usually travels by bike but switched to the metro after the Prime Minister’s appeal.

"As long as this campaign continues, I will keep travelling by metro," he said.

Another commuter said he travelled by bus specifically after the Prime Minister's appeal, while one passenger said his company had provided him with a vehicle, but he had still shifted to metro travel following advice from his seniors.

At Mandi House metro station, many commuters maintained that they were already regular metro users and had not changed their routine because of the campaign. However, a few passengers admitted that PM Modi's appeal had encouraged them to continue using public transport more consistently.

Auto-rickshaw drivers also reported a visible shift. Several drivers said their business had slightly reduced because more people were now preferring metro travel in an attempt to save fuel costs. Some added that commuters often take autos only after exiting metro stations to complete the last leg of their journeys, while others choose to walk instead.

At Rajiv Chowk metro station, commuters largely echoed similar views. Several passengers said they travelled daily by metro even before the campaign, while others admitted they had become more conscious about avoiding unnecessary fuel consumption after the Prime Minister's appeal.

A similar trend was visible at Govindpuri metro station, where many passengers said metro coaches appeared more crowded than usual following the campaign.

PM Modi's appeal is a commendable step. I have increased his metro usage after it," said Rohit.

Another commuter said while many people had shifted to public transport, those accustomed to travelling by private vehicles were still reluctant to change.

Twinkle, another passenger, suggested that work-from-home policies should also be promoted to further reduce fuel consumption. "Organisations could consider calling employees to the office only two days a week while allowing remote work for the remaining days," she said.

Ashish said the campaign could help the country tackle fuel challenges collectively, comparing individual contributions to "drops filling a pond". "Metro travel would also help reduce pollution since the system runs on electricity," he said.

Another commuter, Chayan, pointed to rising crude oil prices and increasing petrol and diesel rates as reasons behind his decision to switch to metro travel. Krishna said a large number of people had shifted towards metro services in recent days, while Saksham said greater use of Delhi Metro would help reduce pollution and fuel consumption simultaneously.

Surbhi, a regular commuter, said the impact of the appeal was now visible even during afternoon hours, when passengers previously had little difficulty finding seats. "Now seats are harder to find because more people are travelling by metro. But the increased crowd is a positive change because it reflects wider public participation," she added.

At Dwarka Mor metro station, commuter Sanjeet Sharma said she had reduced dependence on private vehicles despite suffering from a leg injury. "My family owns three vehicles, but my husband and I are now increasingly using public transport, she said.

"My five-member family, including three working professionals, earlier relied on separate vehicles for commuting, but now we have started adopting public transport after the Prime Minister's appeal," another passenger, Neetu, said.

- Ends
(With inputs from Manoranjan Kumar, Amarjeet Singh, Amardeep Kumar, Manish Ladda, Ashutosh Kumar ad Op Shukla.)