Are we reading the same article?

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) actual ridership has only reached 51.97% of its projected ridership and the operational cost ratio -- the ratio of operating cost to income generated -- has increased from 48.9% in 2011-12 to 80.5% in 2019-20, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) report on DMRC’s implementation of its Phase III. The 116-page report, which is critical of the DMRC’s revenue generation from property development and operational management, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs.

The performance audit was carried out for a period between November 2018 and March 2020 to assess efficiency of the Delhi Metro’s operation and maintenance, planning process undertaken to ensure economic viability of the project, and project monitoring, among others.

The CAG report said pointed out that the DMRC had projected an average daily ridership in the entire network (phases I, II and III) would rise to 53.47 lakh in 2019-20 but the actual ridership was only around 27.79 lakh (51.97% of the projected figure). The report also claimed that DMRC had projected a daily ridership of around 20.89 lakhs in the four Phase-III corridors in 2019-20 but the actual ridership was just 4.38 lakh. The report states that the drop in ridership was noticed after the fare hike in 2017-18. “Similarly, in case of National Capital Region/other extension, the actual ridership on these corridors were 15.12-87.63% lower than projected ridership,” said the report.

I've lived in Delhi for four years.