Last year, the punctuality performance of Delhi Metro was 99.75 per cent, said E. Sreedharan, former director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
Trains are considered late if delayed by 60 seconds and there is no question of manipulation since the systems are computerised.
“Punctuality is nothing but respect for others’ time. We realised that if the trains are to be punctual, we have to be punctual ourselves,” he said while delivering the 137 International Convention Lecture at Theosophical Society on Saturday.
He attributed the early completion of work on the Delhi metro to the unique work culture at DMRC. “We accomplished the task owing to the cardinal principles of work culture such as punctuality, integrity, professional competence and an essence of social accountability that we religiously followed,” he added.
Referring to a study that showed that Delhi metro had put 1 million vehicles off the road by carrying 22 lakh passengers a day, he said that the service that covers 190 km. had contributed greatly to saving fuel.
“The link between New Delhi railway station and the airport is a high-speed metro in which passengers can travel a distance of 20 kms in 18 minutes. DMRC employed frontline technology from around the world in fields such as planning, design and execution,” Mr. Sreedharan said.