As Delhi prepares for the G20 Summit to be held over the weekend, several changes and rules have been introduced to ensure smooth travel for commuters. On the days of the summit, from September 8 to 10, the Delhi metro will begin its services at 4 am from terminal stations on all lines of the network. All metro stations will remain open to people except for the Supreme Court metro station where no boarding or deboarding of passengers will be allowed on the two days due to security constraints, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said.
The DMRC said that the services will begin early to facilitate the movement of people, police personnel and staff from other assisting agencies deployed to maintain security, law and order, and traffic arrangements.
In a letter to the DMRC, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora had requested it to start train services from 4 am on September 8, 9 and 10 so that security personnel can reach their duty posts in time. The reporting time for staffers to reach G20 venues will start from 5 am onwards, according to the letter.
It stated that "as all of us are aware, Delhi is hosting the prestigious G20 Summit on September 9 and 10." "For the purpose, Delhi Police, in coordination with various stakeholders, has laid down elaborate security, law and order and traffic arrangements involving about 40,000 personnel in all, which will come into full scale deployment from September 7 onwards," the letter stated.
While trains will run at a frequency of 30 minutes on all lines till 6 am, after that normal routine will be followed throughout the day on all lines. The parking facilities at Supreme Court, Patel Chowk and RK Ashram Marg metro stations will be closed from 4 am on September 8 till 12 pm on September 11, the DMRC said.
Meanwhile, Special CP Traffic, SS Yadav advised people to use the Mappls MapmyIndia app to help guide them, especially during the G20 Summit. "It is advised for the people to use Mappls MapmyIndia app which is an indigenous navigation application so that it becomes easier for people to reach their destination”, Yadav was quoted by ANI.
He also said that similar to Independence Day and Republic Day, they have appealed to people to avoid India Gate and Kartavya Path areas for walking, picnicking or cycling. He said that New Delhi and NDMC are under the controlled zone, and will be open to the public as it normally is.
“Bus services & metro services will be available. The services at Pragati Maidan & Supreme Court metro station will be affected”, Yadav stated.
The mega event is slated to be held from September 9 to 10 at the newly built international convention and exhibition centre – Bharat Mandapam – at Pragati Maidan.