Mobility paves Samsung’s silver path
The Korean giant’s early bet on mobile phones helped it hit the $10-bn mark in India, but in its 25th year it ...
If the government was measured in resuming Metro rail operations across the country, commuters showed that they could be no less careful. When Metro services eventually opened on Monday after five months, albeit in a limited way, the usual rush was missing — be it in Delhi, Lucknow, Chennai or Bengaluru.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) saw about 7,500 passengers travelling in the first four hours. Some 2,500 passengers used the Metro in Lucknow in the first few hours. Patronage was marginal in Chennai and Bengaluru, too.
“I will wait and watch how many people use the Metro. Will also look for any surge in cases. After all, safety comes first,” said a regular Delhi Metro user. “If the safety norms are strictly followed, then I will consider using the Metro,” said another.
In Chennai, passengers told BusinessLine that the crowd was just a tenth of pre-Covid days but they were impressed by the safety measures put in place. Shanmugasundaram, who travelled from Government Estate Station to Guindy, said: “Temperature checks and hand sanitation were ensured at the boarding point. Social distancing was maintained. There is nothing to worry.” He also praised the contact-less ticketing (QR code scanners and passes instead of tokens).
Metro operators will hope that such statements will get more passengers to use their services. In pre-Covid times, Delhi Metro was used by about 26 lakh users a day on an average. Restricted operations (not all lines were opened on Monday) and people continuing to work from home also kept the patronage low on Day One. But ardent Metro users are already celebrating.
Said G Anand, a Bengaluru-based banker, whose office is on MG Road: “It is a relief. Now, I can go to the office and return safely. Only hassle is that we need to be early by one hour, so as not to miss the office deadline.”
How well Metro rail operations take off across the country will entirely depend on adherence to safety measures laid down by the government. Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu, who took a Metro ride and inspected the protocols put in place by the BMRCL, said it best in a tweet “..... Don’t be afraid to travel by Metro train, but caution is necessary. Our health is in our own hands. In this regard, all travellers are required to follow the rules put in place.”
The Korean giant’s early bet on mobile phones helped it hit the $10-bn mark in India, but in its 25th year it ...
Antrix should adopt a different tactic than merely fighting over jurisdiction: Experts
Invest in relationships, enterprise, behaviour, effort and learning
From different types of osmoses to new membranes, researchers have come up with ways of drawing water
High valuation and stiff competition from larger players are a dampener
Will a stock continue its current trend or will it reverse? We tell you how you can read chart patterns to ...
Most AMCs have been sending out cryptic e-mails. We tell you how to read between the lines
Slew of factors are building a good foundation for the bulls to work their way up
In these isolated times when people yearn for a slice of the familiar, amateur and professional chefs are ...
Writer Narendra’s latest book, rich with vignettes from Bastar and his native village in Uttar Pradesh, ...
On the eve of his 86th birthday, a peek into an interview-based book that reveals the actor’s many moods, ...
Forget the tuna. The island nation will keep you full and happy with coconut, koftas and jasmine
Digital is becoming dominant media, but are companies and their ad agencies transforming fast enough to make a ...
Slow Network, promoted by journalist-lyricist Neelesh Misra, pushes rural products and experiences
How marketers can use the traditional exchange of festive wishes meaningfully
For Fortune, a brand celebrating its 20th anniversary, it was a rude shock to become the butt of social media ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor