New Delhi: The Delhi Metro has resumed its full-fledged operations from September 12 onwards with new norms of social distancing in place, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has significantly reduced the number of persons to be carried in a train, which should be around one-fifth of the earlier capacity to ensure social distancing.
To provide better occupancy in the changed scenario, DMRC has also introduced peak hour frequency of trains from 8 AM to 8 PM, doing away with the concept of off-peak hours from 11 AM to 4 PM where services were available with fewer trains/trips earlier. In addition, the public has also been advised to avoid unnecessary travel as far as possible and stagger travel timings for office/home/other works to the extent possible to 'Break the Peak' for their own convenience and more judicious utilisation of the capacity-cum-occupancy being offered by the DMRC to the public as per the new norms.
However, in recent days, Delhi Metro has observed that Dilshad Garden to Shastri Park, Mundka to Kirti Nagar, Kirti Nagar to Mandi House, New Bus Adda to Dilshad Garden and Escorts Mujesar to Badarpur sections of the metro network are showing a trend where occupancy is touching the 100 percent mark during morning and evening peak hours. Whereas, during off-peak hours, the occupancy in the same sections is in the range of 30-50 percent only, leaving ample scope for people to stagger their travel from peak hours to the extent possible and have hassle-free travel with social distancing in place.
Such a pattern during peak hours, if repeated on the other sections too in the coming days, may lead to long queues outside the stations due to regulated entry which is essential for ensuring social distancing inside station premises and closing of gates etc. thereby, further increasing the journey time and inconvenience during travel.
Therefore, Delhi Metro has advised general-public and requested them to 'break the peak' by staggering their travel timings to decongest the peak hours and avail the additional capacity available during off-peak hours for their own convenience and safety amidst the Corona pandemic. Ever since the resumption of services, people have broadly co-operated with the DMRC and have followed all-new travel protocols in place thereby, resulting in line utilisation in the range of 9-10 Lakh in recent days, which is in line with the current expectations and social distancing requirements.
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