'Running Delhi Metro At Low Capacity Not Financially Viable:' DMRC Expresses Concern Over Loan Repayment

Metro trains prior to the COVID-19 pandemic could accommodate about 60 lakh but owing to the guidelines, metro will not be able to accommodate more than 12-15 lakh people daily.

Passengers travel in a metro train after the metro services resume on Blue line with certain restrictions. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: After being suspended for 169 days, the central government resumed metro services across the country from September 7. The reopening of some of the busiest corridors witnessed people queuing up to board metro trains. This resulted in a massive jump in the network’s ridership. However, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Managing Director Mangu Singh said that running the metro trains at the current low capacity is not financially viable. Metro trains along with various commercial activities had come to a standstill after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nation-wide lockdown in view to contain the spread of novel Coronavirus. Though the measure was necessary due to the pandemic, pockets of almost every other individual/firm suffered a huge loss. Eventually, the Centre stressed upon the importance of both lives and livelihood and resorted to resuming businesses, economic activities in graded manner. After almost five-months of lockdown, Home Ministry had recently issued guidelines allowing metro services in the country to resume operations. DMRC said that it would be done in three stages from September 7-12, keeping in place all the health and hygiene measures, guidelines issued by the government. Speaking on this note, Singh said Metros have been resumed for the benefit of the people and to rekindle economic activities which were hit during the lockdown. He said that metro trains prior to the COVID-19 pandemic could accommodate about 60 lakh but owing to the guidelines, metro will not be able to accommodate more than 12-15 lakh people daily. As quoted in by news agency IANS, Singh said "Even if 12 lakh people come, it will still not be financially viable. We will become financially viable only if it reaches 60 lakh. Anything less than that is not financially viable." According to the reports, metro operations in the national capital incurred a revenue loss of over Rs 1,500 crore, about Rs 10 crore per day on an average. On top, it can be recalled that DMRC had taken loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency which needs to be paid back. At this, Singh said that though the authorities are not thinking about the viability or financial aspects, repayment of loans remains the cause of concern. "Right now, we have only asked for the deferment of the repayment of the loan from the Central government, since the loan repayment is to be done to them only. We have written to them," the chief said, as the loan had been taken from JICA by the Central government, whom the DMRC repays. He went in to say that as of now no request has yet been made to the government to seek support because it is not clear how much will be the deficit, what will be the ridership and how much we will be able to recover in the six months.