New Delhi: With an aim to sensitise commuters
about safe travel in the wake of incidents of people getting
stuck in trains, Delhi Metro will launch a week-long awareness
campaign from February 21 during which they will be educated
and counselled about various issues related to safety.
The decision to launch the campaign was taken by new
Delhi Metro chief Mangu Singh at a meeting on Monday when he
reviewed the performance of the organisation after he took
over last month following E Sreedharan`s retirement.
Over 150 volunteers from Northern Railway Bharat Scouts
and Guides will be deployed at major inter-change stations
like Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate and Central Secretariat and
Chandi Chowk stations from February 21 to February 27.
During the week-long awareness campaign, the volunteers
would educate the commuters for safe handling while entering
or exiting from the train at stations and would also interact
with passengers.
The aim of the campaign is to educate commuters about
safe travel on Metro such as boarding and de-boarding, queuing
for boarding and using escalators, DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal
said.
The campaign comes in the wake of incidents of people
getting stuck in trains, which the Delhi Metro says was due to
software malfunctioning.
Volunteers will be deputed near the train`s doors to
guide the passengers for safe handling of train`s door and
they will also distribute pamphlets of safe travel during the
campaign.
During the meeting, Singh also ordered special
cleanliness drives in areas around Metro stations and asked
the authorities to rope in other civic agencies for these
drives.
Dayal said Singh also stressed on proper maintenance of
parking lots and that they must be neat and clean and have
proper lighting.
Delhi Metro carried over two million passengers on two
consecutive days -- January 9 and January 10. In comparison to
the month of January last year, the Delhi Metro has recorded
an increase of over 25 percent in ridership.
During the last one month, Delhi Metro organized a mock
drill for fire safety inside the trains on January 28 between
Chawri Bazar and New Delhi stations during which the focus was
on safe evacuation of passengers in case of a fire-related
mishap, Dayal said.
DMRC has also launched an extensive drive against the
pasting of illegal posters on Metro premises. Notices have
been sent to the offenders under the Delhi Prevention of
Defacement of Property Act, 2007.
Under the provision, there is a a penalty of Rs 50,000 or
imprisonment up to one year or both for defacement of public
property under the Act.
PTI
