Delhi Metro plans to open 106 new kiosks at stations

Commuters can now look forward to grab a bite or buy stationary items while travelling on the Delhi Metro, as the network plans to open more than 106 new kiosks at different stations, in one of its biggest property development initiatives.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has attributed the move as a major revenue augmentation step in the face of the delay in "long overdue" fare hike, in spite of rising operational costs and a spike in power tariff over the last five years.

The kiosks will come up at 74 stations across all six corridors of metro, including the Airport Express Line. Even smaller stations will have such outlets now, a metro official said.

"It gives sustainable additional revenue to the corporation while facilitating commuters by providing one stop solution for their needs and also provides incentive for private sector participant developers," the official added.

Currently, such shops are seen only in major stations such as Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, MG Road among others.

Metro's busiest corridors, Line 2 (Yellow Line)--that connects Jahangirpuri to Huda City Centre--will have 23 new kiosks while Line 3/4 (Blue Line connecting Dwarka to Noida) has 38 in its share.

The 193-km DMRC network has been looking for newer avenues to rev up its coffers even as it expands deeper into the NCR region.

Its fares were last revised in 2009, when the minimum fare was raised from Rs 6 to Rs 8 with the maximum fare going up to Rs 30 from Rs 22.