New Delhi has the second-most unaffordable metro system among world cities where a travel fare costs less than half a dollar, with average workers forking out 14 percent of their salary on transport, a new study has found.

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According to a study by the Centre of Science and Environment, Delhi’s metro came second among the list of ten cities across the world where people spend less than 50 cents for a tube journey.

It means commuters are spending a lesser percentage (14) of their household income on transport only when compared to Hanoi, Vietnam, where locals will spend up to a quarter of their wages on commutes, or 25 percent.

It comes after the metro system increased its fees last year, resulting in a massive drop in the number of people using the service.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has rejected the findings saying the research is selective and only took into account smaller Metro networks.

The study in fact found the metro’s ridership dropped almost 32 percent compared to its projections for this year. Only 27,000 passengers were recorded, compared to the 40,000 estimated.

"Without a fiscal strategy and an overall plan for improving ridership, how can these cities hope to keep these systems sustainable?” the study states.

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