In 2018, the Delhi Metro collected over ₹67 lakh from commuters found sitting on the floor of metro coaches, an RTI response to a query filed by The Hindu has revealed.

The Delhi Metro has a list of offences for which metro station managers can penalise commuters. Passengers found squatting on the floor of metro coaches are fined ₹200. Data from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) revealed that the amount collected in fines for the offence saw a 230% jump between 2017 and 2018.

Last year, the DMRC collected ₹67,19,000 from over 33,000 passengers found squatting on the floor of metro coaches; in 2017, ₹20,31,000 was collected from over 10,000 commuters for the same offence.

The data also revealed a hike in fines collected from commuters for defacing metro property. In 2017, the DMRC collected ₹98,200 from around 490 commuters for the offence; in 2018, a total of ₹1.97 lakh was collected from over 980 commuters for defacing property.

Ticketless travel

Fines collected for travelling without a ticket saw an 8% hike. In 2017, the DMRC collected ₹39.77 lakh from commuters for the offence; in 2018, it collected ₹43.20 lakh.

Delhi Metro officials said that apart from announcements inside coaches and stations, regular drives are also conducted to ensure reduction in violation of rules.

Awareness drives

“To ensure that passengers follow the rules and regulations inside metro premises for a smooth and convenient travel, the Delhi Metro makes regular announcements inside trains and stations. Regular drives are also carried out to counsel errant passengers and realise penalties for offences such as squatting, spitting, nuisance, travelling with undervalued tokens and so on,” said a Delhi Metro official.

The amount collected for ‘spitting and creating nuisance’ in 2018 was ₹19.48 lakh from around 9,700 passengers; in 2017, ₹13.06 lakh was collected from over 10,000 commuters.

Further, the data revealed that ₹6.62 lakh was collected from commuters for entering the coaches reserved for women in 2017. In 2018, ₹7.45 lakh was collected in fines for the same offence — a hike of 12%.

“Earlier, violators detected by the DMRC flying squads were counselled before producing them to the Metropolitan Magistrates. However, as there is only one Magistrate having the jurisdiction of imposing fines, the DMRC has now granted power to one metro personnel at each metro station, for imposition of fines,” said a DMRC official.

In 2017, the DMRC collected ₹80,75,320 in fines; in 2018 the total was ₹1,39,30,900 — an over 72% increase.