“Metro 21 minute pore pore, auto ekhuni charbe,” an auto driver said to pedestrians near Behala Chowrasta Metro station on a busy Tuesday evening. His message was clear — why wait for over 20 minutes to board the next Joka-Majherhat metro when an auto would get you moving instantly?
This scene captures the mood of several auto drivers plying on Diamond Harbour Road — from Joka to Khidderpore — who fear that the Purple Line metro may eat into their earnings.
Though the Metro Railway has increased services on the line following criticism from commuters, the duration between trains still remains long enough for autos to be the go-to mode of transport in Behala.
“People will choose metro over auto if more frequent rides are offered. Right now, we get passengers because the waiting time is too long, but once it comes down to 5-10 minutes, people will prefer the metro to skip Diamond Harbour Road traffic,” Rajesh Srivastava, an auto-rickshaw driver who ferries passengers between Chowrasta and Rashbehari, told My Kolkata.
When it was first launched, the Joka-Majherhat (Purple Line) metro operated only 18 services a day, with trains running between 8.30am and 3.35pm and gaps of nearly an hour between trips. This made it inconvenient for office-goers and daily commuters. Over time, the frequency of rides has been steadily increased to address the concerns.
Since August, the corridor now runs 80 services daily, 40 in each direction, with the first trains leaving Joka and Majherhat at 6.50am and the last departure at 9.14pm from both the stations.
With trains now running at roughly 20–24 minute intervals, the metro service is far more viable for local daily commuters, especially ahead of Durga Puja when traffic congestion on Diamond Harbour Road is at its peak.
But there are still few takers for the Purple Line metro. According to Kolkata Metro data, not even 1 per cent of the total 8.07 lakh metro passengers in the city on September 1 travelled on the Purple Line route. A total of 6,700 passengers availed of metro services on the Joka-Majherhat route on the day.
Auto driver Bhanu, who operates between Thakurpukur Bazaar and Taratala, agreed. “We aren’t incurring losses due to metro service yet. But we may have to do with fewer passengers when metro trains become more frequent. Since the metro stations are not properly located, people will still need autos to reach the stations.”
There are 12 operational shared-auto routes along Diamond Harbour Road and its major connectors between Joka and Khidderpore. As per auto unions, at least 1,200 autos ply on the stretch.
Not just Diamond Harbour Road, auto-rickshaw drivers on stretches connecting Tollygunge, Muchipara and Chowrasta are also preparing for a dip in passenger flow once the Purple Line connects to Esplanade and offers seamless travel to the heart of the city.
Gour Dolui, who drives his own auto from Muchipara to Chowrasta, said, “Many passengers who use the North-South corridor will not come all the way to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) once the Purple Line is connected to Esplanade. They will shift to the Purple Line.”
Passengers have mixed reactions. Lolita Das, a nurse living in Sakherbazar, said she prefers taking the metro while returning home from work because it is air-conditioned and less crowded. “I am not in a rush then, so it is more comfortable.”
IT professional Sanjay Mondal, who lives near Chowrasta, said he is open to taking the metro more regularly once the frequency improves further.
Many auto drivers believe they will still see good business during Puja. But will the demand last until the next Puja? This question haunts them.