New Delhi: After the Delhi government imposed new restrictions following an increase in Covid cases, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) declared that no standing passengers would be permitted on metro trains.
"In view of the Covid-19 guidelines, travel will be allowed only up to 50 per cent seating capacity inside the trains. No standing passenger will be allowed. Entry into Metro stations will be regulated by restricting the number of gates to ensure compliance with the guidelines," the DMRC said in a statement.
Only 444 of the 712 metro gates will remain open for the time being, according to the DMRC.
In November, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) authorised standing passengers in each Metro carriage, in addition to 100% sitting capacity, as a move to increase the use of public transportation in light of the dangerous air pollution levels in the national capital.
The Delhi government ordered the closure of schools, colleges, cinemas and gyms with immediate effect and put various restrictions on the functioning of shops and public transport as a yellow alert was sounded under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Shops and establishments of non-essential goods and services and malls will open based on an odd-even formula from 10 am to 8 pm.
The government has imposed a night curfew between 10 pm and 5 am and private offices will function with physical attendance of 50 per cent of the staff, barring essential categories.
Marriages and funerals will be allowed with an attendance of 20 people while all other types of gathering related to social, political, cultural, religious and festival events are prohibited.
The total number of Omicron cases in the national capital has mounted to 165, according to data shared by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday.