Nagpur: One in three Metro users and over a third of bus passengers in Nagpur spend up to 30 minutes simply reaching stations and terminals, pointing to persistent first-mile and last-mile connectivity challenges across the city, as per survey reports. A survey conducted by RITES found that while public transport infrastructure continues to expand, access to transit hubs remains a significant concern for many commuters. The findings highlight how the ease of accessing stations and terminals influences public transport ridership. While some commuters rely on autos and cabs for the first and last mile, many still depend on walking, making pedestrian infrastructure a critical part of the journey. According to the survey, a substantial share of Metro commuters spend considerable time merely reaching stations. While 33.2% of users access stations within 10 minutes, nearly 28.6% — almost one in every three commuters — take between 15 and 30 minutes to reach a station. Applied to Nagpur Metro‘s average daily ridership of around one lakh passengers, this would translate to nearly 30,000 commuters spending up to half an hour simply accessing a Metro station. Another 1.8% take over 30 minutes before even boarding a train. A similar pattern is visible among bus commuters. The survey found that 34.7% of passengers spend up to 30 minutes reaching bus terminals, while another 21% require between 30 minutes and an hour. Nearly 12% spend over an hour accessing a terminal before beginning their actual journey, underlining the challenges associated with reaching public transport hubs. Commenting on the issue, MahaMetro managing director Shravan Hardikar said pedestrian infrastructure and accessibility around stations have a direct bearing on Metro usage. “While it is difficult to immediately quantify its exact impact, accessibility within at least a 500-metre radius of Metro stations certainly influences commuter behaviour and ridership patterns,” he said. Hardikar added that MahaMetro is working closely with civic bodies to improve access around stations. “We are coordinating with municipal agencies to ensure pedestrian-friendly, barrier-free infrastructure with uninterrupted walkways for commuters. Walking remains the healthiest and most sustainable form of last-mile connectivity, and the plan is to create dedicated pedestrian corridors. Additionally, we are working on strengthening feeder services to ensure smoother and more convenient first-mile and last-mile connectivity for Metro users,” he said. With authorities continuing to invest in Metro expansion and public transport infrastructure, mobility experts believe reducing the time and effort required to access transit hubs could play a crucial role in increasing ridership. They argue that improving first-mile and last-mile connectivity may prove just as important as expanding the transport network itself.
