Lucknow, Sep 7 (PTI) The Lucknow Metro resumed services on Monday after being closed for over five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The services started at 6 am at all 16 stations with a thin crowd but the number of passengers increased later in the day, Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation PRO Panchanan Mishra told PTI.
The Lucknow Metro became the first metro service in the country to use ultraviolet (UV) technology for token sanitisation to ensure the safety of passengers, he said.
It has laid special emphasis on contactless travel, sanitisation, social distancing, hygiene and cleanliness.
The Home Ministry had recently issued guidelines allowing metro services in the country to resume operations in a graded manner.
Social distancing markers have been placed on alternate seats to maintain sufficient distance between passengers inside the train, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation said in a statement.
Frequently touched areas in coaches like grab rails, poles, handles, passenger seats and door surfaces are sanitised regularly.
Passengers can online buy tickets with a GoSmart card. A GoSmart user has a contactless trip right from entering the metro station, boarding the train to exiting the premises. The automatic sensor of AFC gates detects the card from a distance without tapping it, it said.
Social distancing markings and signages are in place at all stations to ensure an adequate gap among passengers while queuing up near ticket counters, ticket vending machines, security check frisking points, entry-exit AFC gates etc, the statement said.
The metro services were closed down on March 22 due to COVOD-19 lockdown. Before that, over 50 thousand passengers used to travel in the metro.
