India, May 19 -- With Delhi Metro introducing six extra trains and 24 additional trips to handle rising commuter demand, the Delhi Government's "Metro Monday" initiative received a strong response on Monday as ministers, MPs, officials and citizens chose public transport over private vehicles in support of fuel conservation and sustainable mobility. According to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the campaign was launched by the Delhi Government following the national appeal to conserve fuel amid recent developments in the Middle East. The initiative encourages residents to use metro and other public transport services every Monday instead of personal vehicles. Also Read - Heatwave won't let Delhi chill, Orange alert on Several senior leaders travelled by metro during the day, including Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Labour Minister Kapil Mishra and Education Minister Ashish Sood. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also travelled by metro as part of the campaign. DMRC said, "Delhi Metro received an encouraging response today" under the "Metro Monday" initiative. To ensure smoother travel and manage additional passenger footfall, DMRC deployed six extra trains operating 24 additional trips across the network. The corporation said this arrangement would continue every Monday and more services could be added on other days depending on demand. Also Read - Split AC triggers blaze, none hurt "The additional services are aimed at providing safe, reliable, convenient and environment-friendly public transport while supporting the larger objective of fuel conservation and sustainable urban mobility," DMRC stated. Officials said the initiative forms part of a wider push by the Delhi Government to reduce dependence on fuel-driven private vehicles, improve environmental sustainability and ease congestion on city roads. DMRC also said it would continue monitoring commuter patterns and passenger volumes in the coming weeks to assess whether further operational measures or additional services are required to support the campaign.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.