Protest against Metro ‘skipping’ some stations during peak hours

Noida, Feb. 28: Hundreds of city dwellers are suffering due to the Aqua Line metro “skipping” 10 stations during peak hours, office bearers of residents’ groups claimed on Sunday, as they held a protest against the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) here.

Among the stations skipped by the metro train during the peak hours (8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm on weekdays) are Sector 101 and Sector 50, which is dedicated to the transgender community, they said.

The NMRC, which manages the Aqua Line, had started “Fast Trains” from February 8 which skip certain “low-ridership” stations during peak hours with an objective to reduce the travel time between terminus stations in Noida and Greater Noida by nine minutes.

Around three dozen people, including officebearers of residents'' bodies like the Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association (NEFOWA), the Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Association (NOFAA) and social activists, on Sunday afternoon staged a protest at the Sector 101 metro station, demanding a rollback of the NMRC move.

The stations “skipped” during peak hours are: Sector - 50, Sector - 101, Sector - 81, Sector - 83, Sector - 143, Sector - 144, Sector - 145, Sector - 146, Sector - 147 and Sector 148.

“We need to strike a balance between convenience and speed. A nine minutes faster journey does not give any significant advantage to commuters but it definitely causes inconvenience to several commuters (whose stations are being skipped),” NOFAA president Rajiva Singh said.