As the country steps into Phase 2 of 'Unlock', the Delhi Metro still has its operations on freeze.?
The Delhi Metro last operated on March 21, after which the 'Janata Curfew' was implemented in the national capital, putting transport services to a complete halt. Subsequently, the nationwide lockdown was announced which came into effect from March 25.
Back in May, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials said that they had suffered a loss of over Rs 600 crore during the lockdown. The number has certainly shot up with the gradual extension of the lockdown over the months. Even when the service resumes, the train is likely to expect more losses given the reduced capacity to observe social distancing.
The recent guidelines for 'Unlock 2.0' say that the Delhi Metro services will remain closed for commuters until further notice.
During normal operations days, the average daily ridership of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is over 26 lakh.
Close to 25-300 commuters travel, on an average, inside each coach, meaning that an eight-coach metro carries close to 2,400 people. This number is expected to come down steeply once Standard Operating Procedure comes into effect.
Once the revised guidelines are implemented for metro services, only 50 passengers will be allowed in one coach. The longest train, which has eight coaches, will only have 400 passengers per trip, a steep decline in an otherwise crowded train.
The Delhi Metro is expected to deal with a steep cut in its earnings and face numerous challenges once services resume.
One being people avoiding public transport in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
The DMRC has 300 metro trains which conduct 5,000 rounds on various lines (blue, red, yellow, violet etc).
The metro connects many bordering cities to Delhi, like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Bahadurgarh.