NEW DELHI - The Delhi Metro completed six years of operations Wednesday and the average number of commuters now stands at 729,000 every day, an official said.

‘The first section of the Metro between Shahdara and Tis Hazari, a distance of 8.5 km, was inaugurated on this day in 2002. Commercial operations began a day later on Christmas and got an overwhelming response from the people of Delhi.

‘Over the next years, seven more sections were added as part of phase-I which covers 65.1 km and was completed in 7 years and 3 months, two years and nine months ahead of schedule,’ said Anuj Dayal, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson.

Between December 2007 and December 2008, the ridership in the metro has increased by 20 percent in terms of the number of commuters. The average number of commuters has gone up from 612,000 to 729,000 every day, he said.

DMRC also recorded its highest single-day ridership of 951,000 Nov 24, 2008.

‘In 2008, DMRC became the first Railway project in the world to be registered by the United Nations to claim carbon credits and received an award from the Ministry of Power for adopting special measures which have resulted in energy conservation,’ Dayal added.

The DMRC also recently launched a Citizens Forum to instil better behaviour, etiquette and discipline among Metro commuters and authorised station personnel to impose fines for offences such as squatting, littering and nuisance.

Construction activities on various sections of Phase-II, which will cover 125 km, gathered pace this year.

The Vishwavidyalaya - Jahangirpuri section, where trial runs have begun, is likely to be opened in January 2009 as against the original target of October 2009.

The Indraprastha - New Ashok Nagar - NOIDA section is slated for opening in June and the Yamuna Bank - Anand Vihar ISBT line in December 2009.