DMRC to curtail services to lessen crowds on metro

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Standing inside trains is not allowed and passengers should ensure alternate seats are left vacant. Trains may not stop at crowded stations, i.e. less than the expected distance of 1 metre between passengers.

ANUJ DAYAL, executive director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

nNEWDELHI: In a bid to limit the use of the Capital’s transport lifeline, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday decided to regulate its services from Friday to discourage “crowding” at stations and trains in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Metro advised people to use its services for “essential travel only” and announced a series of measures to limit the number of passengers.

Trains will skip crowded stations, train frequency will be altered, there will be random thermal scanning of passengers, people with fever will be referred for a medical test and users will be barred from standing in trains.

The measures will be enforced from Friday.

DMRC officials said the decision to curtail its operation had been taken to prevent the spread of the contagious disease.

The Metro records more than 60 lakh passenger journeys every day.

Asking Metro users to maintain at least one-metre distance from co-passengers, Anuj Dayal, executive director, corporate communication, DMRC, said, “Standing inside trains is not allowed and passengers should ensure alternate seats are left vacant. Trains may not stop at crowded stations, i.e. less than the expected distance of 1 metre between passengers.”

Earlier in the day, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had said no decision had been taken to slash the frequency of Metro trains.

Addressing a press conference on Coronavirus, the chief minister had said, “We had discussed it….if we reduce frequency, it will lead to crowding (in trains and buses). We don’t want to reduce frequency but want fewer people to travel.”

Though no decision had been taken to curtail the number of trips, Dayal said, “The frequency may be altered depending on the exigencies of the situation.” With over 350 trains, the Metro runs nearly 5,000 train trips daily.

DMRC has decided to conduct random thermal scans of passengers at all its metro stations. “In case anyone has a fever or is observed to have any symptom of the coronavirus, he/she will be referred for medical tests and quarantine.

Any passenger with symptoms similar to those infected with Covid-19 are strictly advised to avoid travel by the Metro or any other mode of public transport, Dayal said.

With a network spread over 400 km, the Metro is the lifeline of Delhi.

The Blue line (Dwarka Sector 21-Noida City Centre) and the Yellow Line (HUDA City Centresamaypur Badli) are busiest Metro corridors each carrying nearly 20 lakh passengers everyday.

With several government and private offices still open, commuters may face a lot of inconvenience from Friday.