The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is all set to resume its services on Monday, almost six months after it was suspended due to a coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday and Tuesday, only the yellow line, covering 49 kilometre with 37 stations consisting of 20 underground and 17 elevated stations, will remain operational for a period of four hours each in the morning from 7 am to 11 am and evening from 4 pm to 8 pm. The same will be further extended in a graded manner from 9th to 12th September along with other Lines.
People have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel as far as possible and advised to stagger travel timings for office, home, other works to the extent possible so that the carrying capacity offered with new norms can be reasonably utilized by creating a travel pattern in which people are not rushing to the station in morning or peak hours only.
"DMRC appeals to commuters to 'Talk Less' during travel in the Metro to prevent the possibility of short-range aerosol transmission," DMRC said in a statement.
It further said that the resumption of services with a new normal to prevent the spread of Covid-19 desires public to understand and co-operate with personnel for a comfortable and safe commuting experience.
“To maintain orderliness and regulate flow of passengers with social distancing norms, only one or two gates will be kept open for entry /exit of passengers at a station. Therefore, passengers are advised to check the earmarked gate number well in advance from DMRC website www.delhimetrorail.com,” it said.
Apart from regular frontline staff at the stations, DMRC has made additional deployment of around 1000 officials across the lines to assist and guide passengers in the wake of new norms of metro travel which may take some time to settle in, it said, adding that all staff have been advised to manage the passengers with a positive and caring attitude in these testing times with initial focus on sensitising rather than punitive, on new norms to be followed continuously during the journey for their own and everyone’s safety.
Tokens will not be available at the stations for the time being as they need frequent human interface for travel transactions and pose a risk of Coronavirus infection so a smart card is must for travel, it said, adding that for ensuring better management of crowd at/outside stations, DMRC is also in touch with the authorities to provide around 1000 civil defence volunteers..
“Delhi Metro will not be providing services to such stations which fall under the containment zones for any given day in any of the states governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh notify such zones on a regular basis on their websites,” it said.
“Public is advised to travel with minimum luggage and avoid carrying metallic items for a faster frisking at entry points. Keep only pocket size hand sanitizers, if any, during the travel. Hand sanitizers will not be permitted beyond 30 ml quantity from the safety point of view,” it said.
Delhi Metro operates 389 KM of Metro network with 285 stations in Delhi-NCR including Rapid Metro in Gurugram and Aqua Line of Noida-Greater Noida Metro. About 70 per cent of its passengers used to travel by using the smart cards. Overall passenger journeys performed in a day before the Coronavirus stuck our country was around 60 lakhs.