Current affairs

From Metro trains to public transports: Chennai gets on the track of normalcy!

By alagu, 07 September, 2020
India, Tamilnadu, Chennai, COVID-19, Coronavirus

Amid the grounds of the rapid spread of the COVID-19 viral infection, Chennai has been unveiling the path towards restoring the normalcy in the public movements and transports as the metro rail services, passenger train, and public transports have resumed on Monday - September 7, over five months after remaining under suspension owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The metro trains had got back to its track on Monday with the blue line route had started its service at 7 am from Chennai Airport Metro station to Washermenpet. The green line route from St.Thomas Mount to Central metro station will be resuming its operations from September 9. According to the reports, state transport minister MC Sampath took the first train from Airport to Washermenpet. 

Though metro rail services have become one of the pivotal modes of transports in the city, the initial hours of the first day of resumption hasn't seen crowds in peak hours as most had refrained from using the public transports amid the spread of the pandemic. However, some of the officegoers had used the service and boarded the train from the stations like Alandur, Shenoy Nagar, and Thirumangalam. 

 

In order to have the health protocols in place, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) had issued several guidelines for the passengers inside the trains and at the stations. The trains are getting operated from 8 am to 8 pm and it has revised the timings of the stoppage at every station. Earlier, the metro rails would be stopping for 20 seconds at every station and as per the guidelines, the trains will now be stopping for 50 seconds to ensure enough air circulation and physical distancing. 

CMRL is operating trains every five minutes during peak hours and every ten minutes during non-peak hours. It has mandated the passengers to weak masks and observe social distancing in trains and at stations. They will be screened for body temperature at the entrance of the stations and would be given hand sanitizers. Along with the metro rails, the inter-district public transports and passenger train services have been resumed from Monday, as per the state government's order. 

The reports say that around 400 government buses have resumed its services on Monday from Koyambedu bus terminus in Chennai and these buses were operated for various districts across the state. The services have been resumed after five months. The State Express Transport Corporation has also resumed from Monday and passengers who are traveling to other parts of the state from Chennai had permitted to travel only after they adhere to the guidelines and norms. 

 

The body temperature of the passengers was checked before they boarded the buses and the authorities had ensured that they wear face masks and stick to the guidelines. The buses were sanitized before hitting the roads. The passenger train services have also been resumed from Monday and though the resumption was not in its entirety, some of the special trains connecting to major cities have started its services from Chennai Egmore station, and passengers were allowed to board the train based on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 

Chennai has witnessed the busy weekend after five months as people had thronged bazaars in the city on Sunday as it has been the first Sunday for the state in the past two months after the government had removed the system of complete lockdown on Sundays from this month. The government has permitted the resumption of shops, restaurants, and shopping malls in the city and the state as it has been preparing to restore normalcy. The streets in T Nagar in Chennai were busy on the evening hours of Sunday as people have thronged in the shops and larger establishments, picturing the pre-COVID-19 weekend. 

Must-read: Planning to travel in metro trains in Chennai from Sep 7? Ensure that you know these guidelines

 

You may also like

Comments