Flying squads and constant vigil, volunteers and repeated requests and even the fear of penalty are evidently not enough to make commuters adhere to rules laid down by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
Officials of DMRC concede that some stations and stretches that connect railway stations and inter-State bus terminals with the metro rail network are more difficult to manage than the rest. And as the network continues to grow, DMRC is bracing to face the challenge of effective crowd management. DMRC staff trained to handle crowds is now being assisted by volunteers, but the menace of unruly passengers continues to remain.
“We are constantly asking people to follow rules and guidelines, but a lot of people just don’t seem to understand why they need to queue up or why they should not run along the tracks. If we are polite they tend to not take us seriously and we cannot be unduly harsh. In the end it is a tough job,” said a security official posted at the busy Rajiv Chowk metro station. According to DMRC staffers, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, Karol Bagh and Uttam Nagar are the stations known to have the most unruly crowds.
“These stations attract a lot of outsiders, people who come from other States and are barely aware of the metro’s do’s and don’ts. But it is not just the outsiders, but regular commuters too who sometimes fail to stick to rules,” said an official. Spitting, squatting, defacing metro property and using under valued tokens form the bulk of the rules that are regularly flouted.
“The maximum cases of spitting, squatting and defacing property are reported from Kashmere Gate, Rajiv Chowk, Seelampur and Pitmapura. Handling crowds at some stations is more difficult than others. It takes more effort and manpower to handle crowds at stations like Rajiv Chowk and Chandni Chowk where the footfalls are very high,” said the official.
In November 2008, DMRC had initiated the process of collecting fines for specific violations. “Spitting, squatting, creating nuisance, defacing property, drunken behaviour, vandalism, indecency invoke a monetary fine. The maximum fine that can be levied is Rs.1,000 and there are offences like travelling on the roof of the train, or walking on the metro track that can fetch a fine as well as a prison sentence,” the official said.
In the past one year, DMRC has fined 2,942 people for various offences and collected Rs.5.25 lakh in penalty.
“There are authorised station personnel who can issue fines up to Rs.500,” the official said.
