Chennai: For regulars on the suburban rail network, food is a part and parcel of their journey. But those accustomed to eating during travel by suburban rail or MRTS may not have the same luxury in Chennai Metro Rail.
Commuters can neither eat at stations nor on trains, according to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). This is an attempt to maintain the stations and trains clean.
“There will be officials at stations and trains keeping an eye on commuters; they can carry food, but they will not be allowed to eat. Also, there won’t be any food court or food kiosk at the stations,” an official said.
Delhi Metro Rail too follows this rule and does not permit commuters to consume food at stations. “We have food courts and kiosks. But commuters should eat in the kiosk itself and not in other areas of stations,” an official of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said.
The weekly brief metro & rail professionals read.
Also, Metro Rail commuters loitering in stations beyond the stipulated time may have to pay a fine. If a commuter enters a station and he/she wants to exit without boarding, then it has to be done within 20 minutes. If they travel up to the destination station, then they have to exit the station within 60 minutes.
“If they stay beyond this time, the gates will not allow them to exit; they may have to pay a penalty of Rs. 10 and then leave. We have made this announcement at stations near ticket counters. This is also to ensure that people don’t stay for a long time at stations,” an official of CMRL said. In Delhi, people are given 170 minutes to leave the destination station since the network is extensive.
We understand the necessity that consumer should not eat in Metro train. Could we know why we can’t have a relaxation in what we could eat that might not mess the surroundings?