Nagpur: It was a double extravaganza of the sort, for all the enthusiastic ladies riding on the glory of their success! On Friday when the world observed International Women’s Day, Nagpur’s jovial women were ecstatic to board their ride of pride. As Mahametro kickstarted its commercial run Khapri-Sitabuldi stretch on Friday, ladies thronged in large numbers at Sitabuldi and Khapri metro stations along with their families.
On Friday when Metro train started its maiden commercial run from Sitabuldi at 8 am, those crowded at station were overwhelmed to get into the train. Even as the train traverses various areas of the city, the people stood atop their houses and apartments and waved the passengers. As soon as commuters entered the three bogies, they started clicking selfies and videos, exploring all the nooks and corners. When the journey started, slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ were echoed in the air.
Throughout the seven to and fro rides during the day, women crowd was clearly evident. Even 5 pm ride from Sitabuldi to Khapri was reserved for women who enjoyed the privilege of being the first to relish the historic moments. All the rides on Friday ran jampacked which is expected to continue on Saturday also, as Mahametro has decided to offer free rides for some more days. However on Saturday, the passengers boarding the trains will need to get free tickets with QR code at the ticket counters. These tickets are required to be scanned at the entry points. Mahametro Managing Director Brijesh Dixit informed that this move has been initiated to acquaint the passengers with the ticketing process.
About 500 passengers boarded the Metro in its first full run after inauguration from Sitabuldi, but the numbers swelled to over 1,000 when it reached its destination at Khapri station. Though the initial journey was relatively peaceful, the return was full of noise, thanks to over 100 enthusiastic children from Aspire International School, who boarded the train at Khapri. They were eagerly waiting for the train to arrive along with their teachers and started slogans like ‘Mazi Metro Swachh Metro’.
Making the gesture of pride, the woman cops of traffic department also reached Metro station to enjoy the ride and were seen clicking selfies. Mayor Nanda Jichkar also accompanied the ladies lot in the compartment.
