How petty thieves got Delhi Metro to tweak station design in Phase III

A study conducted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the agency that looks after the security of Delhi Metro, found that the area near ticket counters at metro stations are most vulnerable to thefts.

The findings showed that 90% cases of bag-lifting took place in this area. The study also pointed to incidents of luggage being passed by commuters without getting it checked.

These findings were shared with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and based on it the architecture of around 90% metro stations in Phase-3 has been planned to keep the crowd segregated at frisking points, automatic ticket vending machines and ticket counters.

Read: Pedestrian first in Metro’s Phase-III expansion

Besides, a designated corner for ticket vending machines, longer walls to separate the paid area, CCTV cameras at strategic points and automated platform gates are being included in Phase-3 as additional security features.

The Delhi Metro is set to add over 100 stations, 159 kilometres of network and millions of new passengers in Phase-3. The stations are being opened in phases and the entire network is expected to be operational by mid 2017.

A corner for ticket vending machines has been planned at 90 % of the stations as dependency on it is expected to increase in the coming months. The Metro plans to replace ticket counters with vending machines by the end of 2017. In the other 10% stations, it could not be done due to space constraints, officials said. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation currently has over 200 such machines. By next year, the metro authorities plan to add 300 more.

A senior official of CISF said, “Our study found that there are too many activities around the ticket counter. People are being frisked and there are three queues (for ticket, smart card and ticket machines) in close proximity.”

The frisking points too will be at a distance from the smart card counters, he added. The height of gates separating the paid area of the metro stations has been increased to 7ft from the earlier 3.5ft, a metro official said.

Read: Metro plans to discipline traffic outside its stations in Phase III

“There have been incidents when people inadvertently passed baggage into the paid area without getting it checked. Therefore, the DMRC has planned to increase the height of the walls,” he said.

The CISF official said that the placement of cameras will be more scientific this time. “We have identified areas from where people could intrude or pass baggage. The cameras will be installed in a way that people cannot do such things now,” he said. The details of the placement of CCTV cameras could not be shared due to security reasons, he added.

In a bid to prevent mishaps and suicide attempts, the Delhi Metro has planned to install screen doors at all its stations in the third phase.