Metro stations in the containment zones and some other locations may not open immediately when the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) restarts train operations from September 7, based on Unlock 4.0 guidelines issued by the Union Interior Ministry, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Sunday. .
The minister said that tokens may not be initially issued and only those with smart cards are allowed. He also said that to control passage and enforce social distancing and other measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Delhi government will deploy domestic guards outside the stations.
“We have discussed the opening of the Delhi Metro and based on that, it has been decided that tokens will not be issued in the Delhi Metro from September 7 until new orders are placed. Also, not all metro stations will open at the same time. Those in containment zones and some others will not be opened immediately from day one. The DMRC is currently preparing a list of stations, which will open based on footfall and other parameters. A list of stations where travel services are being restored will be released soon, ”Gahlot said.
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While the DMRC and CISF have prepared draft standard operating procedures, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (Mohua) will issue a final list of protocols for Metro travel. Shortly after the Center announced that Metro operations will be allowed in a phased manner under Unlock 4.0, the ministry said a meeting of all the country’s metro rail agencies will be held on September 1.
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“All physicians have been asked to review the standard operating procedures prepared by Mohua previously in light of the current reality. All suggestions will be considered at the meeting and consequently standard operating procedures will be finalized, ”Mohua spokesman Rajiv Jain said on Saturday.
Gahlot said that based on the SOPs issued by the ministry, the Delhi government will issue a formal order after careful consultations with Metro officials and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
He explained that, in addition to the containment zones, “only some other metro stations will not operate.” “In our discussions with DMRC, it was found that ensuring social distancing and crowd management will be labor intensive, which is not possible if each and every station is open at the same time,” he said.
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When asked about the discussions with the Delhi government, the DMRC did not offer any comment.
There are 264 metro stations in Delhi and, as on Sunday, there were 820 containment zones. Relaxations announced by the Center under unblocking guidelines to gradually ease restrictions do not apply in containment zones.
“Inside the Metro stations, CISF and Metro security personnel will guarantee social distancing and face masks. Outside the stations, the Delhi government will deploy civil defense volunteers. Anyone found without a mask will be fined. Inside the Metro, a distance of 1 meter will have to be maintained between people and the seats will be marked accordingly ”, said the minister.
DMRC officials said the focus of the SOPs will be to effectively regulate the crowd to ensure that only 50% of a station’s passenger transit capacity is allowed at any given time.
Without a doubt, before the closure of Covid-19, the Rajiv Chowk metro station witnessed a daily footfall of almost 5 lakh of passengers, which means that at any time between 20,000 and 21,000 passengers were in the station facilities. Now, to provide ample space for passengers to maintain social distancing, only 8,000 to 10,000 passengers will be allowed inside the station at any given time.
To enforce the rule, the DMRC will assign supervisors who will monitor the passage and help regulate the entrance.
Anuj Dayal, DMRC CEO, said: “In the coming days, we will focus on preparations for the eventual resumption of services. Aspects such as the implementation of hygiene-related protocols, staff awareness and other functional requirements, etc., will be discussed according to detailed standard operating procedures that will be issued in consultation with the ministry. We will try to provide the best possible services to our valued travelers. “
A Metro official said crowd regulation will be imperative, especially in the first 10 stations from the train’s point of origin. This is mainly because passengers generally do not get off immediately after boarding from a terminal, and only after the first 10 stations is balance of entry and exit achieved, the official said.
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