As Covid curbs ease, footfall across Delhi Metro stations picks up

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in a tweet said it has opened 475 of 712 gates at its stations, as against 400-odd that were open before Covid-related curbs were eased

With pandemic-related restrictions eased across the city, the footfall across Delhi’s Metro stations has picked up, with crowds swelling inside and outside terminals, as state rules still prevent standing passengers aboard the popular public transport system, as part of efforts to limit the spread of Covid-19. In a bid to combat crowds, the corporation said it has opened up over 70-odd more gates at its stations.

Currently, passengers are not allowed to stand while travelling in trains. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on January 5 allowed 100% seating in trains. (ANI)

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in a tweet said it has opened 475 of 712 gates at its stations, as against 400-odd that were open before Covid-related curbs were eased.

However, passengers said this has done little to alleviate crowds outside stations, with schools (for classes 9 and above), colleges, restaurants, bars, cinemas and private offices now allowed to reopen, as Covid-19 cases begin to dip in Delhi.

Sudhin (who goes by a single name), a Gurugram resident, said, “The Metro was the most comfortable and fastest way to travel between Delhi and Gurugram. Now that all activities are allowed, the Metro should be allowed to run at full capacity so that commuters don’t face problems. For the time being, the DMRC should open all gates.”

Short-loops are essentially special trains that the corporation is running to ease crowds at stations.

Currently, passengers are not allowed to stand while travelling in trains. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on January 5 allowed 100% seating in trains.

Meanwhile, a DMRC official said the revenue from ticketing has also dropped due to the restrictions.

“The average daily revenue from ticketing is around ₹ 4-5 crore. Prior to the pandemic it was around ₹ 9-10 crore. Due to the pandemic, the Metro has incurred ₹ 1,761.23 crore as operational loss,” said the official.