The Delhi Metro saw a horrific accident happen in its premise when a woman died after her saree got caught in a train door at the Inderlok Metro Station.
In the wake of this heart-wrenching accident, the Delhi Metro has started a new safety campaign which includes new signages inside trains to messages on social media.
What new measures has DMRC taken up?
Among the several measures, the DMRC has installed digital screens at major stations and even inside trains which are showing awareness videos. These videos aim at educating people about how to stay safe when getting on and off the train, as per a DMRC official.
The new signage in use is similar to the stickers that can already be seen inside the train. They show a woman in a saree reminding passengers to be careful with their clothes and belongings so they don’t get stuck in the doors. The message is in both Hindi and English.
This change follows an incident on December 14 at Inderlok Metro Station, where a 35-year-old woman named Reena tragically lost her life due to injuries sustained, later at Safdarjung Hospital.
After her saree got caught in the door, the lady was dragged along the platform. She left behind a 12-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son.
A DMRC official highlighted that they already make announcements cautioning commuters to stay safe and take care of their clothing or belongings while boarding or deboarding.
“In the wake of the recent incident, additional measures are also being taken to install such (safety message) signages on train doors and gates of Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) across the network,” the official deed.
At certain metro stations like the Central Secretariat and the Chandni Chowk metro stations, digital screens can be seen playing videos aiming to build awareness among passengers on metro travel safety. In the videos,
The videos also caution that using a bag, foot, or any other object to close a door is against the rules. According to the official, Section 67 of the Delhi Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, mentions that obstructing metro trains can lead to penalties, including imprisonment for up to four years, a fine of up to Rs 5,000, or both.
A DMRC official had earlier said that a train door makes three attempts to shut. In case it remains obstructed, the respective door remains in “open condition and the train doesn’t move”. The door is closed again by a train operator or a train controller as applicable. If a door fails to close, then it is isolated, he had said.
When asked how many cases of commuters obstructing the doors does the DMRC see in a month, the official said, “One-two such cases are observed through random surveillance daily.”
(With PTI inputs)