- In a bid to maintain social distancing, the authority decided to open select gates for entry at stations
- If we find lack of social distancing, crowding of trains then we will review metro arrangement, said Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is all set resume its services for public from September 7, after more than five months. In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the Centre suspended the metro rail services in the last week of March.
To avoid overcrowding at the stations, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Wednesday released new guidelines for running metro rails. Initially, the metro will be open from 7 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 8 pm till September 10. Only Yellow Line of Delhi Metro railways — from Samaypur Badli to Huda City Centre — will be functional in phase I.
From September 11, the metro will be functional from 7 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 10 pm. Delhi Metro will run from 6 am to 11 pm from September 12. The other routes of Delhi Metro — Blue Line, Pink Line & Gurgaon Line — will start operating from September 9.
After observing the operation and its impact, we will introduce Red Line (Ghaziabad to Rithala), the Bahadurgarh line, and the Faridabad line from September 10, said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief.
In a bid to maintain social distancing, the authority decided to open select gates for entry at stations. There will be a separate gate for exit. The frequency of trains will also be regulated. Only asymptomatic patients will be allowed commute in Delhi Metro.
There will be no token available at the stations. Those with smart-card are permitted to travel. To avoid physical contact between commuters and metro employees, smart-cards need to recharged online.
“For the time being, no tokens will be issued to passengers due to a high risk of virus spreading through it. There will be a system of purchasing smart-cards at every station and passengers will be able to travel only with smart-cards,” Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot said.
The Union housing and urban affairs ministry on Wednesday issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the functioning of metro trains allowed under the ‘Unlock 4’ guidelines. Wearing a mask is mandatory. Travellers must follow social distancing norms once metro trains start operating.
“If we find lack of social distancing, crowding of trains then we will review metro arrangement,” said Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri. “I am quite confident that people will weigh their options and follow the guidelines in place. If someone defies the guidelines to wear a mask or social distancing, there are enough norms in place. The metro act provides for punitive punishment,” Puri added.
