No metro service till afternoon on Holi

No metro trains will ply in the Capital during the first half of Holi on Sunday due to security reasons.

No metro trains will ply in the capital during the first half of Holi on Sunday due to security reasons, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said.

HT Image

"On the day of Holi, metro services would not be available till 2 pm across its network of three lines. It's a security decision," a DMRC spokesman said on Saturday.

"On such an occasion, people generally enter the stations in inebriated conditions and may misuse the metro property," the official said.

Authorities said the move would also prevent the metro stations and trains from getting dirty.

Officials added that since Holi is a national holiday and falls on a Sunday this year, it would not create a problem for people.

"Holi is generally a lean day and till afternoon no one would like to come out of their home. Revenuewise, it is not a great day too," he said.

The world-class mass transit system in the Indian capital currently carries over 525,000 passengers on a weekday giving a dramatically new dimension to the city's traffic. Comprising three lines - Shahdara to Rithala, Vishwa Vidyalaya to Central Secretariat and Indraprastha to Dwarka - the network stretches over 65 km.

To increase the passenger inflow, Delhi Metro will soon have new feeder buses on 36 routes to connect 27 metro stations across the city.

To begin with, CNG-operated mini buses would be introduced to connect the stations. The proposal is likely to be finalised within six months.