Noida: The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) is expected to extend the pink line to Sector 76 on International women's day. But residents of 7X Sectors are not content, they demand more facilities from the metro service.
Nonetheless, the residents welcome the extension of the pink line and acknowledged it as a good initiative. Women are especially excited about it as they feel it would increase their mobility. It could also resolve many issues that the women here encounter while venturing out. Among them is the security which they say the metro line would ensure.
With an aim to provide better sanitation the NMRC turned the existing Sector 76 metro station on Aqua line into a pink one. The station would have additional facilities like washrooms, sanitary pad vending machine and rooms for feeding newborns.
Besides, the functioning of the entire station and its security apparatus would be handled by all-woman staff. This novel concept has been introduced to facilitate woman commuters.
Nisha Rai, a resident of Prateek Wisteria, is of the view that the new line might increase the ridership. But she suggests the security cover should extend outside the metro station precincts. She said currently, it feels scary after stepping out of the metro stations and heading for home especially late in the evening.
“Women's safety below the metro station should also be ensured,” observed Nisha, “as ridership of women from and to the station is likely to increase with the enhanced facilities for them. The NMRC should also help in dealing with auto-rickshaw drivers as they charge exorbitantly fare even for small distances.''
She said the purpose of the new line can be achieved only if these facilities are in place at the metro station.
Residents also demand the construction of a sky-bridge between Sector 51 and 52 metro stations. They say it would be convenient for them to have a seamless commute by metro. Currently, commuters of Aqua line have to alight at Sector 51 station and walk down a few hundred meters to board another metro train on the blue line in Sector 52. It gives them a feeling of a break journey.
Madhumita Suman, a resident of Supertech Capetown, another high rise in Sector 74, who uses the metro for commuting to Delhi daily, said currently, it is not as comfortable a journey as it should.
She calls for steps to build the sky-bridge at the earliest. It will ensure connectivity and comfort to the commuters.