Very sad Delhi Metro out of common man's reach: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said it is "very sad" that an important means of transport has become out of reach of common man, reacting to a report which claimed Delhi Metro is the second most unaffordable metro system in the world.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), in its report on Tuesday, said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is the second most unaffordable metro system in the world in terms of percentage of income spent for using it while asserting Delhi Metro has received nearly 32 per cent less than the number of daily passengers it had hoped to serve this year.

"As the chief minister of Delhi, I feel very sad that such an important means of transport has become out of reach of common man," Kejriwal tweeted. "All those who have given up metro are now contributing to Delhis pollution by using road based transport," he added.

However, the Centre and the DMRC have rubbished the report as "misleading and falsification of facts", saying the study compares "very selected metros". Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Pankaj Gupta said Delhi's ranking is "shameful".

"When metro was opened in the country, we thought it would become ride for the common man and lessen the burden of traffic but what has happened is quite the contrary," Gupta said. Despite knowing that the metro has been out of reach for many people, the BJP-led central government never bothered to reduce the fare but kept on increasing it, he alleged.

"Today the daily use products are out of reach for the common people. It is high time when the Centre must pay serious attention at the rising prices and reduce the fare of metro so that the projected figure of 2016 must be brought to reality," Gupta said.

AAP MLA Nitin Tyagi said that the price hike in the Delhi Metro is a well planned stunt of BJP-led central government to defame the state government. He said the party has constantly been opposing the price hikes from the assembly to the streets and it will keep on fighting for the rights of the common people in Delhi.