The reopening of metro services is also crucial as the strength of employees in offices has been increased keeping in mind the standard operating procedures laid down by the government.
Here is what you should know about metro services as per the new guidelines issued by DMRC:
Timings: The metro services will resume in phases and at the onset, the metro will be opened from 7 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 8 pm till September 10. It is to be noted that the yellow Line of Delhi Metro railways which operated from Samaypur Badli to Huda City Centre will be opened in phase I.
Routes: After taking a review of the operation and its impact, the DMRC will introduce Red Line (Ghaziabad to Rithala), the Bahadurgarh line, and the Faridabad line from September 10. From September 11, the metro will operate between 7 am to 1 pm, 4 pm to 10 pm. On September 12, the Delhi Metro will operate from 6 am to 11 pm, and Airport Express Line will also reopen. Other routes including Blue Line, Pink Line & Gurgaon Line will start operating from September 9.
Entry & Exit: In order to stem the spread of Covid-19, the authority decided to open select gates for entry at stations. Stations typically have four entry and exit gates, with interchange stations like Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate having more gates. Remember there will be a separate gate for exit. Even the frequency of trains will be regulated and only asymptomatic patients will be allowed to commute.
Safety Net: It is to be noted that alternate seats have to be left vacant while maintaining a distance of one metre between those standing. All passengers will have to undergo thermal screening and those showing symptoms like fever or flu will be sent to the nearest medical centre besides their contact will be shared with the local administration. Sanitiser dispensers and thermal scanners will be installed at the entry/frisking point of all stations. In fact, red floor markings have been made on stations for travellers to maintain social distancing.
No Tokens: No tokens will be issued to passengers due to a high risk of virus spreading. There will be a system of purchasing smart-cards at every station and passengers will be able to travel only with smart-cards.
Mask is mandatory: Wearing a mask is mandatory. It is must to follow social distancing norms once metro trains start operating. In absence of social distancing, crowding of trains the situation will be reviewed by the metro arrangement.
Stoppages: As per the news agency PTI, trains will stop for up to 30 seconds more than usual at stations to ensure social distancing. Intake of fresh air will be 50 to 60 per cent more, so one can expect less cooling. Also, don’t forget that you will be under constant monitoring from control rooms and anyone found violating norms can possibly be 'named and shamed' through public announcement systems.