New Delhi: The process to install platform screen doors in Delhi Metro has begun at the Chawri Bazar station of Yellow Line while work at five other stations would be started by April. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation officials said the move was primarily a part of its attempts towards crowd management which would also aid in avoiding potential harm to passengers through suicide attempts.
"The field work of the long awaited technology, whose design and related theory work was long over, has been started by way of taking measurements and by finding suitable ways of its glitch-less installation in the platforms," a metro official said.
According to official data, there had been a total of 11 suicide cases in the metro network last year while three have already taken place this year. The 1.7 metre high gates, which are already in place in DMRC's Airport Express Line, will come up at Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi station, Chawri Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Kashmere Gate stations by the "end of this year".
"These screens can be installed only during non-revenue hours that is only for a maximum of three hours every night. Lot of integration is required with various components of metro operations for smooth operation of the gates," a DMRC spokesperson said.
The gates will also lead to optimum utilisation of platform space as people will not stand scattered all over the platform in a bid to rush into the coaches as they do now, an official said.
"In addition, this will give a feeling of safety to passengers, particularly at crowded stations, against accidental falling onto the tracks or deliberate attempt at self harm," the official added. A DMRC team is assisting a consortium of Korean and
Indian firms to whom the contracts have been awarded in working out the logistics and the designing aspects for smooth integration of the project with the existing components.
Apart from being a security feature, the gates will also have the added aspect of attracting revenue as there will also be provisions for putting up advertising panels. "One side of the platform will have 64 display panels (LCD screens) besides advertisements at the gates itself," the spokesperson said.
According to DMRC, all stations of the upcoming Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar (Line 7) and Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden (Line 8) corridors will have platform screen gates.
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