Noida: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday advocated the use of public transport to save on fuel and costs associated with the import of petroleum, saying travelling on a metro train should be a “prestige issue”

Launching a 12-km stretch of Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line here, he said governments incur a lot of cost in creating infrastructure but when it is ready it benefits generations to come

Addressing a public meeting, Modi said by 2022, when India celebrates its 75 years of Independence, he wants to cut down on imported petroleum products

He said a multi-modal transportation system will ensure that use of fuel is cut down, which will help the common man save money and also be useful for the environment

On December 24, 2002 then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a ride on the metro, Modi recalled. “It was a historic moment. Since then, the Metro network in NCR has expanded considerably,” he said

We live in an era in which connectivity is all important, the prime minister said

“Without connectivity, life comes to a standstill. This Metro… is not only for the present but also for future generations,” he said

There was need to change the mindset so that people prefer using public transport than their private vehicles. He said travelling on a metro should be a “prestige issue”.