India, April 23 -- Pune Metro has crossed a key milestone by issuing over one lakh smartcards, reflecting the growing acceptance of its cashless ticketing system among city commuters. With Phase 1 of the Metro now fully operational - covering the Vanaz to Ramwadi and PCMC to Swargate routes - the service has steadily gained the trust of Punekars as a reliable mode of public transport. The metro's daily ridership currently stands at around 1.6 lakh passengers.

Work on the expansion of Phase 1 is also progressing, with construction underway for the extended route from PCMC to Nigdi, and the tendering process in progress for the proposed underground corridor from Swargate to Katraj.

Among the various ticketing options available - including...