NEW DELHI: Average weekday passenger journeys on the Delhi Metro declined by around 2.67 lakh between July 20 and 24, when several stations in central Delhi remained closed amid student protests, according to data released by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).As per news agency PTI, average weekday passenger journeys fell from 65,93,294 between July 1 and 19 to 63,25,892 during July 20-24, marking a decline of around 4.1%.The DMRC, however, said the drop was not significant when viewed in the context of the entire Metro network. According to a statement cited by PTI, the corporation said, “Such trends are often noticed during weekends, holidays and vacations as well.”The average weekday ridership stood at 68,56,803 in June 2026, compared with 67,40,968 in July 2025 and 66,77,710 in June 2025, according to the data.The decline came during a period when Metro operations in central Delhi were affected by security restrictions imposed in view of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests.According to PTI, the DMRC had temporarily closed entry and exit at up to 18 Metro stations between July 20 and 24 on the directions of the Delhi Police. Interchange facilities, however, remained available at select stations.The restrictions affected commuters travelling to several key government and commercial areas in central Delhi, while traffic movement in parts of the city was also disrupted.
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The protests were organised by the CJP at Jantar Mantar and included a “Sansad Chalo” march over alleged examination irregularities. The July 20 march witnessed clashes between protesters and security personnel, with police using lathis and teargas shells to disperse crowds attempting to move towards Parliament.The agitation subsequently spread to several other states, with protesters demanding the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak issue.The protest ended on Saturday after Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to the protesters’ demand for compensation for families of those who had died by suicide, along with an assurance that no FIRs would be registered against the protesters.The temporary Metro restrictions during the agitation have now emerged as one of the measurable impacts of the prolonged protests, although the DMRC maintained that the overall decline in passenger journeys was relatively limited.(With agency inputs)
