Delhi Metro will run 56 extra trips to accommodate the expected rise in ridership during the implementation of second phase of odd-even scheme from Friday. Two hundred metro trains will make around 3,248 trips daily during the upcoming odd-even fortnight.
“Delhi Metro will be pressing into service the maximum number of trains possible operationally during this period keeping only the essential maintenance reserve,” Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a statement.
The company has a fleet of 220 trains. During the first phase of the road rationing scheme, number of daily trips were taken up to 3,192 and trains to 197, measures that were later made permanent.
While the metro system carries an average of around 27 lakh passengers on a daily basis, there was no significant increase in the ridership figures during the first phase of the drive between January 1-15.
Apart from the extra trips of metro trains, 15 additional feeder buses, that leave from stations across the city, shall be run while three new routes have been introduced.
“The distance they serve have been rationalised to 6-12 km range so as to utilise them to the maximum as last mile connectivity,” DMRC said.
The Metro authorities will also deploy additional ticket operators, guards and customer facilitation agents to handle the expected load on the ticketing system.
“80 ticket operators will be deployed per day while CISF, guards and customer facilitation agents will be added at stations to help and guide commuters,” a DMRC spokesperson said.
lines and stations will be monitored by control room and action taken to ensure that crowd is not built up at booking points, TVMs and security frisking points.