On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the nation on achieving the mark 1 billion vaccinations. Various metro corporations of different states shared this fantastic feat through social media. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) found an innovative way by displaying the messages on the panels of the metro trains and stations. An official stated that this achievement could begin a paradigm shift in terms of ridership.
The ridership in some metro corporations was at an all-time high in the Pre COVID times, while some of the metro corporations were trying to achieve better numbers. The pandemic changed the dimension of the ridership completely. With 1 billion vaccinations achieved, the confidence of commuters to travel in the metro will increase. With the passage of time, the ease in travel restrictions will also be a contributing factor for the ridership.
One of the significant factors that led to 1 billion vaccinations in India is the various free vaccination drives conducted by metro corporations not just for their staff but for the ordinary citizen as well. One of the sources from DMRC said that they are conducting random testing for the commuters in the metro premises too. “Some commuters do complain about inconvenience while travelling via metro but restrictions are necessary. We are full equipped and prepared to tackle the third wave.”
The attentiveness from the staff of the metro corporations is satisfying. There have been a few campaigns from some metro corporations in order to spread awareness about the pandemic.
“October 21, 2021, is indeed a golden-letter day for our country when we crossed the facilitation of 1 billion mark COVID-19 Vaccine doses among Indian citizens.
This milestone is an incredible achievement given the vastness, diversity, and large population of the country. This achievement owes to the Indian Government, which has been working towards this vaccination drive with a high grade of determination and perseverance from day one when vaccines got available for the rollout some 9 months ago.
We at Hyderabad Metro Rail have been contributing in a humble manner to this drive by leading vaccination drives for our employees, partners, and stakeholders. We are happy to state that all our staff working at the metro stations in service of passengers are fully vaccinated. Apart from the vaccination, we have also been raising awareness among the passengers to get vaccinated by engaging with them, making announcements on the train and through our social media platforms. During the toughest times of pandemics, L&T has supported the Telangana State government in its drive to fight the pandemic by donating the much-needed COVID kits in large numbers and oxygen plants for the government hospitals.
The success of the vaccination drive is also reflected in the surge of passenger ridership at Hyderabad Metro Rail. We are now witnessing over 3 lac passenger journeys in a day, which is indeed heartening that this mode of urban transportation in Hyderabad is slowly limping back to normalcy. To ensure that the confidence of passengers remains intact, our metro rail services are fully compliant with all COVID-19 safety protocols as per governmental guidelines and we are ensuring that passengers follow those safety norms while using the metro rail services for the safety of everyone.
While vaccination drive is going on full steam, there is still a long way to go; and my message to everyone is that even after vaccination, we must not let our guards down and continue to follow all COVID safety protocols for our and everyone’s safety.” said Mr. KVB Reddy, MD & CEO, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited.
