Covid curbs and Metro woes: 50% capacity makes Delhiites find alternatives

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[google-translator]

New Delhi

As per the list of curbs in Delhi, which is under yellow alert, only 50% capacity is allowed in the Delhi Metro. And this has sent the regular metro commuters in a tizzy. Anticipating longer queues, Delhi-NCR residents say they had begun finding their way around, to ditch the extended commuting hours, as soon as the news came in.

Curfew lead winter break

Rupali Sagar, a Rohini-based dancer-choreographer who takes the metro almost everyday to reach her studio in Paschim Vihar, has now planned to give her students some time off. “Almost everyone in my dance class takes the metro, including me. In fact, I even take the metro to provide lessons to a few of my students at their homes. We have tight rehearsal schedules, but considering the now long queues that will be at metro stations, I’ve decided to give a winter vacation to all my students. Studentsbhi khush aur mujhe bhi Metro board karne ke liye battlefield jaisa experience nahi karna padega because the rush is going to get insane for sure,” says Sagar.

Buffer time is a pain

A regular at the library at his college campus, Utkarsh Bhardawaj, a student of Ambedkar University, is now ruing about leaving his place early, to be able to reach in time. “The day the curbs were announced, there was a huge queue outside the Kashmere Gate Metro Station, which is the nearest to my university. Some of the entry points to check in were also closed. If this continues, it will add 30 to 60 minutes to my travel time, each side. So earlier if I was usually studying till 8.30pm, now I can’t wait that longer and risk getting stuck due to the curfew. I’m going to leave home early, to avoid the rush and subsequent delay,” he says.

Long queues, like this one outside Akshardham Metro Station, are being seen across the city. (Photo: PTI)
Long queues, like this one outside Akshardham Metro Station, are being seen across the city. (Photo: PTI)

Husband to the rescue!

Yashvi Sharma, who works with a city-based NGO, travels from Vaishali to Saket everyday via metro. But now, she plans to ditch the train. “I’ve started ditching the metro because it’s a big trouble for me to reach to work in time if only 50% passengers will be allowed at a time… Some days I could take a cab but not always because it will be an added expense to my budget. And before I enter or exit the metro, I’ll be asking my husband to pick and drop me. In fact, in a positive sense, this curfew curb will give us some quality time together, and our own version of a long drive,” adds Sharma.

Carpooling, all the way

Raghu Kumar, a businessman who rides the metro daily from west Delhi to Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi), has identified a neighbour who can drop him near his shop. He says, “It’s necessary to have curbs, to stop a third wave from coming. In fact, this will make metro travel much safer now! But since it’ll be operational at half the capacity, it’s going to be a task waiting in serpentine queues outside the metro gates in dilli ki sardi. And I have to be home early, but I know I’d be stuck if I take the metro. So I’ve been using the charm to convince one of my friends, who takes his car to the market. For now he has agreed to tag along me, but this can’t be a long term arrangement. We’re desperately waiting for everything to get back to normal.”

Author tweets @siddhijainn

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