Delhi: Come September, all-new way to travel, rejoice

NEW DELHI: With services allowed to resume as part of the Centre’s Unlock 4.0 guidelines from September 7, Delhi Metro, the country’s biggest and busiest network, is all geared up to reopen on the 170th day of its shutdown.

“According to the latest guidelines issued by the ministry of home affairs under Unlock 4.0, Delhi Metro will be resuming its services for the public from September 7, 2020, in a calibrated manner,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director (corporate communications), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). “Further details on metro’s functioning and its usage by the general public will be shared once the detailed SOP is issued by the Centre,” he said.
“I am glad that metro has been permitted to start its operations from 7 Sep in a phased manner (sic),” chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted on Saturday. Kejriwal had recently urged the Centre to allow metro operations to resume, albeit in a graded manner.
Your ride, however, won’t be the same anymore.
DMRC sources said it was likely that, initially, only government and PSU employees, or those engaged in essential services, would be allowed during the peak hours. Train operation timings may also be curtailed. According to sources, DMRC and other metro operators in the country have been asked to discuss an SOP earlier provided by MoHUA in a video conference on Tuesday.
The number of commuters in trains will be slashed to ensure social distancing, which is going to be the prime focus of DMRC and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Trains will also stop for longer durations at platforms to ensure that the passengers can maintain social distancing while boarding and de-boarding. This will result in longer travel durations.
Only one entrance at most of the 242 stations will be kept open, keeping in mind which entry point sees the highest rush. Extensive “filtration” of commuters through thermal scanning and regulation to avoid crowding inside the station will be carried out, both at the entrance and inside.
A DMRC official said that the reopening would be challenging and there would be teething troubles. Along with enforcement, DMRC will also carry out an extensive “sensitisation” campaign for the commuters to encourage self-regulation. It has deputed 487 officers on special duty on two shifts at all stations just to keep a check on social distancing. In case of any major defiance of norms, entry to stations will be closed and a train may have to be halted too.
A senior CISF official said that extra personnel might be used in the CCTV control rooms to keep a tab on people not maintaining social distancing, or not wearing masks on the station premises. In addition to keeping a check on security, CISF’s quick-reaction teams (QRTs) are also likely to travel in the metro to enforce the norms, he said.
“We are still awaiting the exact guidelines, but CISF is prepared to enforce them and we have been preparing for this for the last few months. The CCTV room will be alerting teams on the ground about people who are not wearing masks or disobeying rules. Our teams travelled in the metro earlier too, but now their focus will be more on ensuring that the new guidelines are followed,” said the official. Offenders would be handed over to DMRC for penal action, he added.