Delhi traders body seeks increase in frequency of Delhi Metro trains after long queues seen outside stations

Delhi traders body urged the Delhi Metro authorities to increase the frequency of metro trains to put an end to long queues of commuters. CAIT conducted a meeting with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief Mangu Singh.

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New Delhi: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Thursday (June 24, 2021) submitted a memorandum to the Delhi Metro authorities. In the memorandum, the Delhi traders body urged the Delhi Metro authorities to increase the frequency of metro trains to put an end to long queues of commuters. CAIT also urged the Delhi Metro authorities to have separate entry and exit points at stations for better crowd management.

CAIT conducted a meeting with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief Mangu Singh. In the meeting the traders body, while stating that both the shopkeepers as well as the customers have been facing problems due to long queues outside Metro stations, suggested several measures to check the spread of the coronavirus.

"All entry and exit points should remain open in big Metro stations such as Chandni Chowk, Kashmiri Gate, Lal Qila and Rajiv Chowk. The frequency of trains should be increased to ensure there are no long queues outside the stations. Also, in many Metro stations sanitisation machines are not working, they should be rectified," CAIT chairman Brijesh Goyal said in a statement.

"At present, the carrying capacity of the Delhi Metro as per existing guidelines is in the range of 10-15 percent only. The long queues are caused as single entry points only are permitted at most of the metro stations as in a mass transit system it is difficult to regulate the number of persons inside the system once entry is permitted," the statement said.

The videos of long queues at many metro stations have been widely shared on social media lately, even as the DMRC has maintained that it is taking all precautions to ensure safety of passengers.

A delegation of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CIT) met DMRC chief Mangu Singh at the Metro Bhawan here on Thursday, the trade body said in a statement.

CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said a multi-point memorandum was submitted to the DMRC chief, in which it has sought provision of entry and exits through separate gates.

For big stations like Chandni Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Rajiv Chowk, Lal Quila, all gates for entry and exit should be opened, the CIT demanded in the memorandum, besides increasing the frequency of trains so that crowding does not take place.

The DMRC in a statement on Thursday said in recent days, long queues have been observed outside metro stations as "entry to the stations is regulated due to restrictions on a number of passengers to be allowed inside the train" in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to current guidelines, only sitting on alternative seats is permitted and no standing is allowed. Although the DMRC is running maximum numbers of trains, passengers have to wait outside stations because of restrictions, it said.

(With PTI inputs)