1,521 4 108

(*2018 all the figures till August 31)

increased to 27 lakh passengers in 2018.

DMRC executive director (corporate communications) Anuj Dayal said, “Regular inspections and security checks are conducted inside the trains and stations to control offences such as squatting on trains and men travelling in women’s coaches. Many violators are also counselled. Our primary intention is to ensure better behaviour in our network and not to penalise commuters.”

The stations are also inspected by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) — the paramili- tary agency responsible for security in the Delhi Metro network.

Officials said causing nuisance to fellow passengers also emerged as a common offence – in 2014, only 275 people were booked for the offence. The number saw a 20-time jump by the end of 2017, with the figure reaching 4,865.

While most offences have seen a spike, the DMRC has managed to control violations such as carrying tokens away after travel and male passengers entering coaches reserved for women. In 2014, as many as 638 passengers were fined for keeping tokens with them even after completing their journey. This increased to 8,352 in 2016, before being brought down to 6,198 in 2017.

Similarly, 4,634 people were caught for unlawful entry into coaches reserved for women in 2016. That decreased to half – or 2,649 – in 2017.

“I travel from Uttam Nagar to Noida, and during office hours the train is packed. Who am I disturbing if I find a corner? More so when I’m returning from work in the evening. I barely have the energy to stand,” said Neelam Sarkar, a resident of Sagarpur.