Jaipur Metro services will resume on September 23rd. The train will be operational on the entire stretch from Chandpole to Baddi Chaupar. The newly constructed underground corridor will be inaugurated by chief minister Ashok Gehlot around noon. Before operations were closed due to lockdown, only phase-I (Mansarovar to Chandpole) was open.
A senior official at Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC) said, “The operations will start around 3 pm. The ministry of housing and urban affairs and ministry of railways have allowed the Metro to operate in a calibrated manner. We will follow the same protocol.”
To ensure social distancing, suitable markings at stations and inside trains will be done. Wearing masks will mandatory for all passengers and staff. “Unlike other cities, Jaipur Metro does not have huge ridership. Provisions such as sitting on alternate seats will be made. But there will be no requirement to skip stations in containment zones,” added the official.
Mentioning few important guidelines, an official said usage of Aarogya Setu App will be encouraged along with use of smart cards and cashless online transactions. The train will run on its regular schedule.
“Now, Metro makes 170 trips between Mansarovar and Chandpole every day. Trains arrive every 15 minutes from 6.25am to 8am and after 8am trains arrive within 10 minutes,” the offical added. Jaipur Metro will ferry commuters from Chandpole to Badi Chaupar at Rs 6 on the 2.4km underground corridor.
The fare for the entire 12.06 km corridor (Mansarovar to Chandpole) will be Rs 22. The new corridor could give a fresh lease of life to JMRC as it can increase its ridership once operational. In the absence of Phase 1B, the performance of Phase 1A of Jaipur Metro was ‘poor’ as the average ridership dipped.
“At present, an average 20,000 passengers commute through Metro daily, as against the projected figure of 1 lakh. But Phase-II is expected to boost the numbers,” said a senior official. The tariff is comparatively cheaper than other means of transport. People commuting to Walled City from Sindhi Camp, railway station and Sodala use the Metro as it is cost-effective.