Crowd remains thin on Noida Metro

"Around 370 passengers travelled on the metro line in the morning and the number rose to 725 by the end of the day," a spokesperson of the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) said. "The top three stations in terms of ridership were Sector 51, Pari Chowk and NSEZ," he added.

Crowd on Noida-Greater Noida Metro remained thin on Tuesday, with a meagre 725 people using the rail service during the day, officials said. The Aqua Line resumed services on Monday after a gap of over five months due to the COVID-19 outbreak and around 600 passengers travelled in it on day one, they said.  The metro is operating with curtailed timing in two shifts of 7 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 9 pm, amid stepped up preventive measures against the pandemic like social distancing and mandatory mask wearing for commuters.  "Around 370 passengers travelled on the metro line in the morning and the number rose to 725 by the end of the day," a spokesperson of the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) said.

"The top three stations in terms of ridership were Sector 51, Pari Chowk and NSEZ," he added. According to NMRC rules, people with a body temperature above 37.7 degrees Celsius, those without 'green status' on Aarogya Setu mobile app would not be allowed entry.

The rail service connects the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida over a distance of 29.7 km through 21 stations. The NMRC had earlier announced a fine of Rs 500 for commuters found without a face mask and Rs 100 for those spitting inside trains or on metro premises.

However, it also said that masks would be available on payment basis at three metro stations – Sector 51, NSEZ and Pari Chowk – for a minimum of Rs 5 and a maximum Rs 30 for needy commuters. Prior to the pandemic-induced lockdown, the Aqua Line had an average ridership of approximately 25,000, according to officials.