Chennai: The Chennai Metro Rail Corporation resumed services with 50 per cent of its passenger capacity, but the social distancing norms have gone for a toss as people do not adhere to keeping a distance from each other.
People travelling in Wimco Nagar and Tiruvattur are experiencing more rush in peak hours and in several coaches, social distancing norms are not at all maintained.
In the airport line metro service also, heavy rush was experienced and Manoj Sunderdas, an employee with a private firm, a frequent traveller in Tiruvattur, told IANS, “Even after the Metro service conducted several automised warnings as well as created awareness, people are not maintaining social distance and almost 7 people are squeezed into a seat and similarly, people are standing in large numbers.
After the opening of the North Chennai line, which is of 9 km, there is heavy traffic and passengers complained that the trains are full by the time it arrives at Chennai central.
While CMRL was allowed to function with 50 per cent of its capacity, in most days there is huge passenger rush in the coaches and people are standing and not maintaining social distancing.
Vinaya Ramesh, an IT company employee said, “I thought that Chennai Metro would be safe but I found huge crowd in the air-conditioned coaches and this is a high risk. I have stopped travelling by Metro and have resumed my driving.”
Chennai Metro officials, however, said that around 47,000 people are using the Metro rail services a day and mainly this footfall is owing to the presence of daily commuters who are regularly using the Metro service. According to officials, Metro service had recorded an average of 1.16 lakh passengers daily before Covid.
Metro officials said that the organization is maintaining strict social distancing and that it has made wearing of masks compulsory. The CMRL also said that being a responsible agency it has maintained all the Standard Operating Procedures in Covid protocol.
