Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail opens photoshoot opportunities for birthday, pre-wedding as ridership dips

Observing a dip in ridership, the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) has resorted to opening the premises for photoshoots. While filming is generally prohibited on most metro rail zones, the state recently launched an initiative letting people celebrate birthdays and carry out pre-wedding shoots on Metro trains and station premises.

"The Celebrations on Wheels initiative has been launched keeping in mind the vibrant culture of Indore and Bhopal, the rapidly growing urban environment, and the changing lifestyles of citizens," MPMRCL Managing Director S Krishna Chaitanya told news agency PTI.

"This is an effort to bring the Metro closer to the public, allowing people to celebrate their special occasions in the safe and modern environment of the Metro. This will make Metro services an integral part of citizens' daily lives," he added.

Notably, the initiative will allow shootings of web series, documentaries and advertisement productions. It will also open the metro premises for events and celebrations like birthday bashes, kitty parties, and other creative activities will be permitted on the Metro.

According to reports, the fee for this facility has been kept at 5,000 per hour for an undecorated stationary Metro coach and Rs 7,000 per hour for an undecorated mobile coach. This comes in the wake of metro services in Indore and Bhopal facing lower-than-expected ridership.