Metro rail services in the country, except in Maharashtra, will resume in a staggered manner from September 7. If all goes well, that is if passengers follow social distancing and other COVID-19 related safety norms, normal operations could resume from September 12, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri said on Wednesday.
He said the decision would be reviewed if social distancing was not followed, and crowding was seen on the networks.
Mr. Puri addressed a press conference to announce the standard operating procedure (SOP) for Metro trains, which have remained suspended for over five months due to the pandemic, after the Ministry of Home Affairs gave the go-ahead on August 28.
Only asymptomatic people will be allowed to enter stations after thermal screening, and face masks will be mandatory for all passengers and staff. While not mandatory, the use of the government’s Aarogya Setu app would be “encouraged”.
Mr. Puri said the Maharashtra government had decided not to start operations of the Mumbai Line-1, the Maha Metro in Nagpur and the monorail in September, instead planning to open from October or as it may decide further.
Stating that “resumption of economic activity is an imperative” behind the decision, Mr. Puri said the Metro corporations would ensure all precautions are taken, including sanitising trains. “But we need the cooperation of the public,” he said.
According to the guidelines, Metros with more than one line should re-start operations of different lines from September 7 in a staggered manner so all corridors become operational by September 12. The hours of operations may be staggered to start with, but will be increased gradually till “resumption of full revenue service by September 12”.
The frequency of trains would be regulated to prevent crowding and markings for social distancing would be made inside stations and trains. The stations in containment zones would remain closed.
The Ministry’s SOP said hand sanitisers should be available at the entry and Smart Card use should be encouraged over tokens and paper tickets.
Mr. Puri said Metro corporations would be able to skip stations if they find social distancing is being violated on the station. He added that those found not wearing masks or violating social distancing norms could be named and shamed.
In the interest of quick security checks, passengers would be advised to travel with minimum luggage and avoid metallic items. Trains should have as much additional intake of fresh air as possible, the SOP said. Mr. Puri said the Metro corporations in Delhi, Noida, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru, Mumbai Line-1, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Maha Metro (Nagpur), Kolkata, Gujarat and U.P. Metro (Lucknow) had prepared their own SOPs based on the Ministry’s SOP.