New Delhi: The Delhi Metro services are all set to begin in a staggered manner from Monday. The metro services are starting after a gap of 169 days, which remained suspended since March 22 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday and Tuesday, metro services will only be available on the Yellow Line between Samaypur Badli and HUDA City Centre stations. The train services will be available for a period of four hours each in morning (7 am to 11 am) and evening (4 pm to 8 pm).
Over a period of next 5 days (by September 12), rest of lines will be made operational as well. The commuters will be required to follow the travel guidelines issued by the DMRC early.
The DMRC appealed to people to use only earmarked gates to enter the stations. Only one or two gates will be open for entries and exits at the functional metro stations. Commuters can check about the open gates on the DMRC website.
The DMRC appealed to people to avoid unnecessary travel in the trains. Also, they appealed to commuters to talk less in the trains. They advised people to keep extra time for the trip.
Here is the new protocol which will be followed in Delhi metro:
- Entry of passengers will be permitted through only one of two gates. The details of entry gates will be uploaded on the website www.delhimetrorail.com.
- Wearing face masks and covers will be mandatory inside the station premises and trains.
- There will be thermal scanning at the entry points. Hand sanitisation will also be done there itself.
- Passengers having temperatures will not be permitted to travel.
- Social distancing will be followed at the stations. Stripe markers will be provided at frisking points, customer care, AFC gates etc.
- Only 2-3 persons will be allowed inside the lifts. Social distancing will also be followed on escalators as passengers will be required to stand at alternate steps on it.
- Monitoring will be done through CCTV cameras.
- Passengers will be allowed to sit at alternate seats in the trains. Social distancing will be followed by the standing passengers also. ‘Do not sit here’ stickers have been fixed on alternate seats.
- The stoppage time at stations will be increased by 10 seconds to allow people safe boarding following social distancing. It will be increased from earlier 10-15 seconds to 20-25 seconds.
- At interchange stations, the stoppage time will be increased from earlier 35-40 seconds to 55-60 seconds.
- Tokens will not be permitted. Only smart card holders will be allowed to travel. Recharge of smart cards will only be done through cashless modes. Ticket Vending Machines will not accept cash.
- All the human contact points like lift buttons, escalator handrails, AFC gates touch points, customer handing points will be disinfected every 4 hours at all the stations.
- Parking facility will be operational whereas there will be no feeder bus services.
