Unlock 4: 'List of Metro stations for restoring services to come soon'

A list of stations where Metro travel services are being restored is being prepared and will be made public soon, the Delhi Government said on Sunday, day after the Centre allowed the service in Unlock 4.0 guideline.

After being shut for more than five months due to coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will be resuming its services from September 7 onwards in a calibrated manner with new guidelines. Delhi Metro services have been suspended since March 22.

For the time being, the Delhi government said, no tokens will be issued to passengers due to its high risk of spreading the virus, and there will be a system of purchasing smart cards at every station and passengers will be able to travel only with smart cards.

To ensure contactless travel, digital methods will be enabled to recharge smart cards and all measures will be taken to ensure the mandatory social distance of one meter between passengers in the train, the Delhi government said.

"Marking of seats will also be done to ensure social distancing." Also, Metro staff, additional civil defence volunteers will be deployed to ensure that the station does not get crowded. Provision of sanitizers will be made at every station and wearing a mask will be mandatory, it said.

If a passenger is found to be travelling in violation of the rules, the Delih government said, the DMRC officials and police officers deployed have been given the power to generate a challan in the name of the violating passenger.

The air condition in the coaches will be operated as per new guidelines so that there is a constant flow of fresh air in the train.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot in a statement said he was glad that after a long wait, the people of Delhi would be able to travel by metro once again.

"We will ensure that social distancing is maintained in the Metros. Thermal screening of the passengers will be done at all the entry points. Tokens will not be issued, commuters can only use smart card and other digital methods of payment for purchasing the ticket. We will resume Metro services by following all COVID protocols so that the general public do not face any kind of difficulties."

Resumption of Metro services will provide great relief to the public of Delhi, Gehlot said.

"In a way similar to how we successfully restored the bus services in Delhi, we will restore metro services strictly taking care of all the protocols and precautions," the Minister added..