Passengers travelling on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line. (Photo: VNA) The average number of daily passengers ranges from 21,000 to 22,000 onweekdays, and 25,000 to 30,000 on weekends.
During holidays, this average figure goes as high as 40,000. During the May 1holiday, more than 50,000 passengers used the service.
According to Hanoi Metro general director Vu Hong Tuong, the number of peopleusing the railway line has increased 2.5 times compared to when the servicefirst opened, when social distancing rules were stricter.
The train is on schedule 99.98 percent of the time. Daily passengers with amonthly pass account for up to 60 percent of travellers, and up to 80 percentduring rush hours.
Explaining the reason behind the increase in numbers, Tuong said that peoplehave seen the railway line as convenient, stable, and unaffected by trafficjams, which will gradually form a metro culture.
People using the train have become more accepting of walking a long distance toget to the stations. After boarding the metro line, they can then transfer toconnecting buses at these stops.
As the pandemic is brought under control and activities returned to normal,such as children returning to school, combined with rising fuel prices, metrotravel demand has increased.
Tuong said that the railway had brought positive initial results, contributingto reducing road congestion along the route during rush hours. The currentstate of operation is the best scenario that Hanoi Metro has prepared for.
There are now 54 bus lines connected to the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban elevatedrailway, with 16 lines at each of the two ends of the railway line, and eightto nine lines at intermediate stations.
Hanoi Metro has also put up boards detailing the bus route system at the metrostations to inform passengers./.
VNA
