Page 30 - TrafficInfraTech Magazine - Linking People Places & Progres

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

completes one trip, transit agencies commuter loads, to provide for the and staircases, and while waiting at the
can organize rapid response cleaners added demand. platform and concourse. Terminal and
stationed at terminal metro stations Social distancing and crowding at interchange stations are most likely to
to clean and/or replace filters quickly, metro stations can also be monitored experience crowding, due to the large
without impacting train frequency to a through CCTV cameras and interventions number of people using the system. The
great extent. risk can be mitigated by implementing
can be communicated to on-ground crowd management and control
Operations under social staff to manage passenger movement. strategies in the system.
As commuters move between stations
distancing and trains, metro agencies will need to Metro agencies should create

As metro systems are usually implement communication protocols passenger circulation plans for stations
closely packed with commuters, between stations for information such to limit crowding at various points
agencies would need to enable social as occupancy levels, arrival times, and of interaction between passengers,
distancing norms. According to design estimates of passengers that can board. metro staff, and metro facilities. Floor
specifications, metro trains in India are This will help stations better estimate marking indicating where people can
designed to carry 300 passengers per space availability before the train stand in all waiting areas can be used to
coach. With social distancing norms reaches the next station and will help in control the passenger flows within the
mandating 1 metre distance between controlling passenger entry into stations station premises. Mid-block stations,
two commuters, the number of and platforms and communicate where passengers can change routes,
commuters per coach and per train will possible wait times. will need to have limited boarding
reduce. Sitting commuters will need to capacities to help avoid overcrowding
leave one seat vacant, while standing Managing and controlling at the concourse and platform.
commuters would need to space crowds at stations Commuter awareness should be
themselves through floor markers in While in normal times metros are generated and communicated through
the coach. At reduced capacity, metro equipped to carry large volumes of various media such as posters, in-station
agencies would be looking at limiting people, with current precautions, and metro announcements, and
coach occupancy to 50 people, or 1/6th operators will have to ensure that passenger information systems, which
of its capacity.
demand for metro travel does not lead will help commuters follow safety
Reduced metro capacity will mean to crowding within the metro stations practices. Metro staff will play a critical
running more trains to service the same and metro coaches. Crowding tends role in enabling these safety norms, and
demand and reduce any commuter to occur at ticket purchase counters, should be trained in contingency plans
backlog at different parts of the during security checks (body and bag to address crowding issues. On-ground
stations. Understanding travel patterns frisking), at automated fare collection staff also should be trained on enforcing
(origin and destination stations) of gates for entering and leaving the social distancing at stations without
commuters and tweaking their services metro station, at elevators, escalators, delaying commuters.
accordingly might help mitigate such
circumstances.

For a cluster of high-density stations,
short route ‘express’ trains can be
explored and deployed to directly
address demand from high demand
stations, depending on available
infrastructure in the system. This has
been successfully implemented on
Delhi’s Jahangirpuri-HUDA City Centre
line: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
(DMRC) runs trains more frequently
between Kashmere Gate and Qutab
Minar station, which have maximum Prateek Diwan Shilpa Kharwal Sudeept Maiti

30 April-May 2020 / TrafficInfraTech www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com