(Image source from: amarujala.com)

Delhi metro update: Metro services in the national capital all set to open from September. Here are the special arrangements being made for the safety of travelers.

According to sources, Delhi metro is all set to reopen and September 1 is going to be the start date after lockdown, which made the metro services to shut for almost 5 months.

Delhi metro is the lifeline of daily commuters and the journey in the metro will not be the same as before if it begins from September 1.

The coronavirus pandemic will completely change the way the Delhi metro will run from now.

Many special arrangements are being made to ensure the safety of travelers and the staff. Read below to know everything about the arrangements.

The main focus on Social Distancing:

There are 671 gates of the Delhi metro out of which only 257 gates will be reopened from September 1.

This means under the Unlock 4 guidelines, only 38 percent of the gates will be operational for the entry and the exit of the passengers.

Only two gates of stations like Rajiv Chowk, Kashmiri gate, Central Secretariat, Hauz Khas will be opened for the passengers.

This will make it easier for the staff and passengers to monitor and ensure social distancing.

How many people can travel in Delhi metro?

In order to strictly follow the social distancing norms, stickers have been placed on the seats and also in the stations.

There will be about 50 passengers in a coach and 300 to 400 passengers in the metro at a time.

Earlier, about 1500 people used to travel in the Delhi metro on an average of 6 coaches which will now come down to 300.

Only 3 passengers will be allowed in the metro lifts at a time. People will be made available regarding this through the LED screens installed at the metro station.

Customer Facilitation agents will also be deployed near the AFC gate on platforms to regulate the movement of the passengers.

Earlier, metro trains used to stop for only 15 to 20 seconds at stations. However, from now, the trains will stop for 45 to 50 seconds at the interchange stations which are overcrowded.

This would also mean that the passengers’ travel time would increase.

CCTV Cameras, volunteers to monitor the situation

Separate gates have been fixed for the entry and exit of the passengers.

Before entering the station, the temperature of all the passengers will be tested with a thermal scanner.

Wearing masks and gloves has been made mandatory for passengers to travel in the metro.

The station controller will monitor the situation through CCTV cameras installed at the metro stations.

Places to be monitored for overcrowding

Entry gates, ticket counters, customer service centers, ticket vending machines, AFC gates, lifts, escalators, and platforms will be monitored constantly to keep the crowd in check.

By Gayatri Yellayi