Centre releases new guidelines for metro services

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced guidelines for metro services. These services will resume from 7 September across India in a phased manner.

There are 17 metro corporations in India and they can now release their own details of operations keeping local needs in mind.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued the Unlock 4 guidelines last week under which metro trains would be allowed to resume services.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said passengers will have to follow preventive measures against Covid-19 such as maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks.

These are the guidelines:

• Metros having more than one line should open different lines staring from 7 September in a graded manner so that all corridors become operational by 12 September. Daily hours of operations may be staggered initially. This will be increased gradually with resumption of full revenue service by 12 September. Frequency of trains to be regulated to avoid passenger crowding at stations and in trains.
• Stations and entry-exit gates in containment zones to be closed.
• To ensure social distancing, suitable markings at stations and inside trains to be done.
• ​Wearing of face mask to be mandatory for all passengers and staff. Metro rail corporations may make arrangements for supply of masks on payment basis to the persons arriving without mask.
• ​Only asymptomatic persons to be allowed to travel after thermal screening at entry into the stations.
• Provision of sanitisers to be made at entry into the stations for use by passengers.
• Sanitisation of all areas having human presence like equipment, train, working area, lift, escalators, handrail, AFC gate, toilets etc. needs to be done at regular intervals.
• Use of Smart Card and cashless/online transactions to be encouraged. Tokens and paper slips/ticket to be used with proper sanitisation.
• Enough waiting time at stations to enable smooth boarding/deboarding ensuring social distancing. Metro rail corporations may also resort to skipping of stations to ensure proper social distancing.
• Passengers to be advised to travel with minimum luggage and avoid carrying metallic items for easy and quick scanning.

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