Commuters who 'wilfully' defy norms of social distancing or do not wear masks at metro stations to be named and shamed
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced on September 2 that Metro services will resume in a graded manner from September 7 across the country and passengers will have to follow preventive measures against COVID-19 such as maintaining social distancing and wearing face mask but emphasised that the focus all along would be on ‘review and caution’.
“The emphasis on all this has to be on review and caution. We are clear in our minds that this opening up in graded and calibrated manner will need to be reviewed if we find that the resumption of operations is not resulting in social distancing either at the metro stations or there is crowding or trains are getting congested in a manner which should be avoided,” Puri told reporters.
“We need the cooperation of the commuters to ensure that all the norms are being followed. We are going ahead with our eyes and ears open and will be carefully monitoring it and I hope we do not have to revisit this decision. We will be watching,” he added.
He also said that Metro trains will not stop at stations where passengers are found not maintaining social distancing and that individuals who defy the social distancing norms or do not wear masks would be named and shamed.
Puri said that wearing a face mask will be mandatory during travel on Metro trains and added that masks will be provided to passengers on payment basis at stations.
However, “We will name and shame those violating norms of social distancing and those not wearing masks at metro stations,” he said.
“If there is a wilful disregard of the norms, we will not hesitate. There is also an element of naming and shaming if an individual’s behaviour results in jeopardising a public utility which is so vital in the life of a city or a country,” he said.
Asked if the number of people entering the station would be capped, DMRC chief Mangu Singh said that if the number exceeds the number that the system can manage, entry would be restricted.
“This will be dynamic. We will be monitoring the entry points. If the number of passengers entering the stations is more than what we can manage, we will certainly restrict the entry,” he said.