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Trader body meets DMRC chief highlights problem of crowding outside Metro stations
New Delhi: Long queues outside Metro stations are causing crowding and traffic snarls in markets around stations, a delegation of traders told Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) managing director Mangu Singh on Thursday, officials and members of the delegation said
New Delhi: Long queues outside Metro stations are causing crowding and traffic snarls in markets around stations, a delegation of traders told Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) managing director Mangu Singh on Thursday, officials and members of the delegation said.
Long queues outside Metro stations, especially during peak hours, have become a common sight ever since the Metro resumed operations on June 7. The passenger load has almost doubled in the past fortnight, Metro officials said. As per the data, on June 7, 680,000 lakh passenger journeys or trips were carried out which increased to 1.3 million on June 18. On June 20 , 848,000 trips were operated on Sunday and 852,000 on June 24.
The delegation comprised of members of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) who told the DMRC MD that considering most markets in Delhi are located around Metro stations, the long queues outside their gates were spilling over to markets causing crowding and traffic jams, members of the delegation said.
“Since the Metro services reopened after the Covid-19 lockdown, only limited number of gates are kept open and entry and exit are managed from the same gate. We have asked the DMRC to allow more gates to be opened and to also to increase the frequency of trains so that crowd does not spill over to markets,” said Brijesh Goyal, chairperson, CTI.
Goyal said stations around markets such as Chandni Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Red Fort and Rajiv Chowk, more entry and exits should be opened. The traders said that the intermittent closure of metro gates to ensure social distancing inside on the Metro network was causing crowding on the roads adjacent to the stations and also around parking areas.
The Delhi Metro said crowding was mostly happening around busy stations and those that act as interchange facilities. They said the Metro was strictly ensuring Covid-19 protocols are followed both inside and outside its premises, which is why limited number of gates are being used and rigorous checks are being ensured to avoid crowding on stations. DMRC officials as per the government guidelines for Covid management, sitting is being allowed only on alternative seats with no standing. This means that the system was only operating at 10-15% of its capacity, the officials said, adding this is what causing crowding at some of the stations.
“The long queues are caused as single-entry points only are permitted at most of the Metro stations. In a mass transit system, it is difficult to regulate the number of persons inside the system once full entry is permitted,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director (corporate communications).
A senior official confirmed each coach now carries 25-30 passengers compared to 300 earlier.
Besides restricted seating, only 5,100 train trips every day at a peak frequency of 2.5 minutes to 5 minutes is being managed on all the major corridors. “This was the same frequency at which Metro was operating during the normal pre-Covid times. The Metro is thus operating and running at its full frequency/capacity but with a reduced number of passengers owing to restrictions,” Dayal said.
Mohan Taparia, a commuter travelling from Dwarka Mor to Rajiv Chowk on Thursday said that he had to wait over half hour just to get inside the station. “There is no problem once you’re inside the station. But the problem is to get in. There is a long queue and people rarely follow any social distancing. How does any social distancing inside the station help if there is crowding outside,” said Taparia.
Experts also said that agencies will have to ensure that while Covid norms are followed inside the Metro system, crowding is also controlled outside station gates.
Sewa Ram, professor of transport planning at the School of Planning and Architecture, said a mass transit mode such as the Delhi Metro was designed to carry more standing passengers than seated ones, adding that reducing the carrying capacity of trains to 10% (calculated based on pre-pandemic passenger traffic) will only push the system to more losses. He also pointed out that it is important that the Metro stations and trains do not become infection hot spots.
“We really need to plan this carefully. It is important that rather than putting the entire onus of ensuring social distancing on the Metro, the government should also play its part by controlling passenger load by staggering market hours, office timings, etc. Meanwhile, for the time being, the Metro can focus on increasing the frequency of trains and add more coaches so that the carrying capacity can increase,” Ram said.
