We miss classes due to Delhi Metro snags, students complain

NEW DELHI - Many Delhi University students have complained to the university authorities that frequent snags and rush on the Metro makes it difficult for them to reach colleges in time for the morning classes, an official said Tuesday.

In a written comlaint submitted last week, the students travelling from areas like Gurgaon, Anand Vihar and Noida said it was hard for them to attend the morning classes, the university’s proctor Gurmeet Singh said.

Speaking to IANS, Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) vice-president Priya Dabas said: “In the last three months, we have received several complaints from students about the rush and technical snags.”

She said that transit stations like Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate were overcrowded and students were forced to wait often for over half-hour every day.

According to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), over four lakh passengers use the Rajiv Chowk station daily.

“We have decided to put the matter forward to the vice-chancellor’s office,” Dabas added.

Ranjan Sharma, a second-year commerce student of Hansraj College, said: Tehcnical glitches, huge rush and long delays are routine these days. I live in Gurgaon and have missed many 9.30 a.m. classes.”

A group of students commuting from Noida to Daulat Ram College in North campus said the Delhi Metro was no better than the buses.

We thought Metro was the most suitable mode of conveyance. But things have changed. Long delays and huge rush have turned the Metro into a nightmare, Sangita Biswas said.

Students also complained of the low frequency of trains and said they had to wait for over 15 minutes at many stations.

However, the DMRC said technical glitches cannot be avoided totally.

Technical glitches are common in any Metro system, it cannot be avoided, particularly on the Noida, Anand Vihar and Gurgaon corridors. These routes are the longest ones, running into over 50 km, and are the most crowded as they carry more than half the total daily passengers on the Metro every day, DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal said.

He also said six-coach trains would be inducted on these routes by December end.

With the overall ridership crossing 16 lakh in November, over-crowding has become a perennial problem, especially during the morning and evening peak hours, Dayal said.