The Delhi Metro has set new travel time limits for commuter journey length to prevent loitering at stations and failing to adhere to which will attract a penalty.
The Delhi Metro has set new travel time limits for commuter journey length to prevent loitering at stations and failing to adhere to which will attract a penalty.
Commuters travelling a distance for which the fare is up to Rs 18 (approximately nine stations) would be allowed to stay inside the Metro premises for 65 minutes. The time limit is 100 minutes for travelling up to 14 stations (fare up to Rs 23) and 180 minutes for 15 and above (fare above Rs 23), said a senior DMRC official.
“This is aimed at controlling overcrowding at stations. Also it has come to our notice that several people loiter in station premises,” the official said. The new time limits will come into force from Monday. The DMRC will make announcements regarding the same till January 31. The official said offenders will be penalised only from February 1.
From Monday to January 31, the travel cards or token of commuters staying beyond the stipulated time will show error number 159. They will then have to report to customer care centres to make an exit without any penalty, the official said.
The new time limits, the official said, have been arrived at after calculating the maximum possible time that a commuter could take to travel specific distances. Currently, commuters are allowed to stay inside the metro premises for 170 minutes if they enter from one station and exit from another irrespective of the distance travelled.
Every month, more than 1 lakh commuters are penalised for overstaying in the Metro facility. In December last year, 1,08,513 passengers were booked for overstaying in the system while 1,13,972 people were penalised in November.
“This contributes significantly to the problem of over crowding,” the official said. A penalty of Rs 10 per extra hour and maximum Rs 50 (as per DMRC business rules) will be imposed for any breach of the time limit from February 1.
