New Delhi: The Covid-19 outbreak has left Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) very sick, financially.
Exploring his savings to run the train, Delhi’s lifeline is now panting and desperate for Covid norms to relax so that it can carry more passengers.
It also looked for direct financial support, the application was first made last year.
In 2020, Delhi Metro’s operation was closed for 169 days.
It returns to the functioning of Covid security norms in a place that reduces its carrying capacity.
Pandemic resulted in his annual income to see a large sauce – from Rs 3897.3 Crore in 2019-20 to 895.9 crore at 2020-21.
While the DMRC had a surplus RS 758 Crore in 2019-20, he faced a deficit of Rs 1,784.9 Crore in the last fiscal.
ACS Off, dim lights such as bloody covid metro leaves in the first quarter of fiscal today coincide with the second wave of Covid-19, which saw Metro services closed to the general public for 48 days – when only people involved in important services were permitted – and turned off fully For a month.
Now operating under a tighter social distance regulation, which leads to a longer queue outside the station and a large swim in the savings every day.
“While our operational costs remain the same, compared to our daily income, we spend more about electricity bills, staff salaries, etc.,” said the director of the Mangu Singh DMRC executive to Tii.
DMRC spends two and a half times the amount produced from passenger income and other sources to maintain network operations.
Earlier this year, DMRC had written to the Central Government and Delhi, despite the government Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, for financial assistance to run the train.
Singh said there was no response until now.
“However, we hope we will get help.” DMRC has fallen back on a number of Rs 2,000 Crores, which he has obtained through consulting services to other Metro networks, but its savings run out.
Singh, however, said the Metro is a public service owned by the government and sooner or later, the shortcomings will be borne.
The current effort is to run service with maximum frequency so that more passengers can be accommodated even though the norms only allow 50% of the capacity of their seats and no stand.
“It’s a pity that we have to run our train almost empty, with only 10-12% of passengers …
while people outside the station facing great discomfort,” Singh added.
Singh said they took different steps to cut costs, without affecting the operation and expenditure related to safety.
“We have suspended non-essential and non-safety related maintenance.
The burden and lighting of airconditioning has been reduced, especially near the gate which is closed at this time.
We have also reduced outsourcing staff cleaning and maintenance, ticket sales operators, etc.,” he said.
“We do whatever is possible,” he added.
Shutdowns and decreases with footsteps because restrictions also affect income generated from the development of property, retail, parking etc.
Singh said DMRC tried to make sense with this owner too because they had been seriously affected too.
“We don’t want to lose them.
If we become very tight, many of them will empty our place.” Singh said if the passenger stands permitted, the capacity will double, help not only bring income but also reduce waiting time.
“Very difficult things today and DMRC don’t need to get a bad name because if someone waits outside the station is not allowed to enter 15 for up to 30 minutes, he will feel as if the train runs at a 30-minute interval,” he said.
“In fact, however, is that we run 5,100 train trips a day, while before locking it is 4,800 travel.”