Delhi unlock day 1: Metro records 4.5 lakh passenger journeys

The Delhi Metro Monday recorded 4.5 lakh passenger journeys, having resumed services after nearly a month during which train operations remained suspended on account of the second Covid wave.

Passenger journeys are calculated by taking into account the corridors used by a commuter in reaching from point A to point B. For example, if a passenger used three separate corridors in reaching from Huda City Centre to Mayur Vihar, she will be counted thrice.

Before the second wave of the pandemic halted the Metro in its tracks, it used to record roughly 28 lakh journeys per day. Under the curtailed operations that have been permitted by the Delhi government, the Metro can operate with 50 per cent seating capacity and no standing commute is allowed.

This essentially means an eight-coach train, which can carry up to 2,400 passengers, will ferry only around 240 commuters on an average.

DMRC said that till 8 pm on Monday, 84 passengers were advised to get down from train coaches for travelling in standing position, 73 were penalised for not wearing masks, and 106 were counseled to follow social distancing and wear masks properly.

“To ensure compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour inside Metro premises, around 15 Metro stations were intermittently closed briefly during morning and evening peak hours. Nine special flying squads were also deployed to randomly check inside trains for any kind of violations and counsel people to refrain from doing so for their own and everyone’s safety,” said the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

Metro services remained suspended between March 22 and September 6, 2020. Services resumed on September 7, and ridership gradually went up over the months, before services again came to a halt on May 10.