We detail everything that DMRC passengers need to keep in mind, right from the time they park their vehicles and enter the station, to the security check, in-train protocols and their exit at the destination. We also take a look at DMRC’s sanitisation and disinfection protocols to maintain hygiene at stations and on trains to prevent the spread of Covid
Metro trains will resume operations in a graded manner from September 7. All metro networks having more than one line will open these lines in a staggered manner so that all the corridors are operational by September 12. Passengers will have to follow preventive measures against Covid-19 such as maintaining a physical distance and wearing a face mask.
Here is a look at how travelling by Metro will be different when you hop into a train on the DMRC network on September 7.
Initially, entry/exit of passengers will be permitted only through one or two identified gates at each station.
A list of all such gate numbers for each station will be made available on the website www.delhimetrorail.com and official social media handles.
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Wearing of face masks/covers will be mandatory for all commuters during entry into the stations/trains and during the entire journey.
Use of the ‘Aarogya Setu App’ to update the health status of passengers will be advisable.
Screening process
All passengers will be required to undergo thermal screening and hand sanitisation at the entry/frisking point itself. Forty-five major stations have been provided with ‘auto thermal screening cum hand sanitisation machines’. The remaining Metro stations will have the provision of ‘auto sanitizer dispensers’ for hand sanitisation; thermal screening will be done manually, with ‘Thermal guns’. This will be facilitated by DMRC/security personnel near the frisking/entry point.
Passengers having a temperature or exhibiting signs of Covid-19 will not be allowed to travel. They will be directed to report to the nearest medical centre.
At the station, passengers will be required to maintain a physical distance for which stripe markers have been provided at frisking points, customer care, automatic fare collection (AFC) gates. Similarly, platforms will have signages to ensure physical distancing by passengers.
Only 2-3 persons will be allowed at a time to use a lift, depending on the capacity of the lift. Similarly, passengers will be required to stand on alternate steps on escalators to maintain physical distancing.
Regular announcements will be made inside stations reiterating the need to adhere to the new travel protocol to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Besides this, Dos and Dont’s to prevent the spread of Covid-19 have been prominently displayed at all Metro stations.
A team of around 800 officials/staff will be deployed at all stations to ensure cleanliness and orderliness inside stations during revenue hours. In addition, they will regulate/stop entry of passengers in case of a crowd buildup and violation of physical distancing norms.
For crowd management, monitoring will also be done through CCTV cameras installed at stations/trains.
Divyangjan commuters will be facilitated by trained Customer Facilitation Agents to ensure proper physical distancing and sanitisation.
Inside metro trains
Passengers will only be permitted to sit on alternate seats or stand, maintaining adequate distance. ‘Do not sit here’ stickers have been fixed on alternate seats to maintain distance inside the train.
The dwell time (stoppage) of trains at each station will be increased by 10 seconds (from 10-15 seconds earlier to 20-25 seconds) so that passengers get sufficient time to board and alight. At interchange stations, the dwell time of trains will be increased by 20 seconds (from 35-40 seconds earlier to 55-60 seconds).
Pre-recorded audio/visual announcements will be made in all the trains regarding physical distancing and wearing of masks.
Trains will be sanitised at terminal stations. Similarly, once they are back at depots at the end of the day, they will again be thoroughly sanitised.
Train doors will be kept open at terminal stations to let fresh air into the train.
Ticketing system
Tokens will not be permitted for travelling to prevent transmission of the virus through frequent touching/handling. Only Smart Card holders (including QR code users on the Airport Express Line) will be allowed to travel, as these can easily be recharged digitally in a number of ways, avoiding human interaction.
Recharge of Smart Cards at the Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) or Customer Care centre will be permitted only through cashless modes (debit/credit/Bharat QR code etc). TVMs will not accept cash.
New Smart cards can be purchased at the Customer Care centres or Ticket counters through cashless modes (debit/credit card/Bharat QR code) only.
For grievance redressal, passengers will be encouraged to register their feedback through digital means (email, social media, helpline etc). The passenger complaint book at stations will be discontinued for the time being.
Cleanliness and hygiene
Regular cleaning of Metro stations will be ensured by prioritising passenger movement areas such as concourses, passages, platforms, stairs, glasswork, steelwork etc, especially toilets, which will be cleaned/disinfected every four hours with disinfectants.
All human contact areas such as lift buttons, escalator handrails, AFC gate touchpoints and customer handling points will be disinfected at stations every four hours or earlier as required.
Thorough disinfection of the entire station will be done during non-revenue hours, at night.
Some Dos and Don’ts
To ensure compliance with the new travel protocol at stations/trains, the public has been advised to take extra time of around 10-15 minutes for their daily commute.
Passengers will not be allowed to carry hand sanitisers beyond 30 ml quantity.
The public has been advised to keep only pocket-size hand sanitisers, if any, during travel.
People have also been advised to travel with minimum luggage and avoid carrying metallic items.
Parking facilities will remain operational. However, feeder bus services will remain suspended till further notice.
Outlets/shops inside Metro stations will be permitted to operate as per prevalent government guidelines, subject to fulfilment of physical distancing norms.
Fully equipped
There will be 750 thermal screening guns placed across stations, two at each station for male and female passengers. As many as 195 auto hand sanitisation machines will be put in use with one each at the 195 Metro stations. As many as 1,500 manual sanitiser dispensers will be in place at stations.
As many as 1,625 PPE kits will be put in use. A set of five PPE kits will be kept at all stations to attend to medical/symptomatic cases found in the Metro premises.
Nearly 35,000 disposable masks will be stocked at stations to meet emergency requirements.
There will be as many as 50,000 physical distancing signages inside trains; 6,000 physical distancing stickers on platforms; 25,000 physical distancing stripe markers in passenger-movement areas such as frisking points, TVMs, customer care counters and AFC gates.
As many as 1,500 social distancing stickers will be seen on escalators and 4,000 basic Dos and Don’ts signages on prevention of Covid-19 across Metro stations.