Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) The Delhi Metro has deployed four special squads to curb incidents of spitting and defacement of its property by commuters, which have been on the rise, an official said.

In March, over 195 cases of spitting were detected and around 62 cases of defacement of Metro property were detected, the official said.

“With a reported increase in incidents of spitting, littering and defacement of Metro premises, station staff has been specifically directed to keep a close eye on commuters,” said Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal.

“Station managers and controllers are authorised to slap a penalty on offenders,” he added.

The Metro’s move to penalise offenders comes at a time when it is gearing up to serve foreign visitors during the Commonwealth Games to be held Oct 3-14.

“Delhi Metro will maintain world class standards in its trains and stations to welcome foreign visitors,” Dayal said.

Apart from officials, volunteers from Metro citizens’ forum will also be deployed at stations to report commuters’ misbehaviour to the Metro authorities.

Volunteers are provided with helpline number of Metro and mobile numbers of senior officials to report such incidents directly for speedy action.

“The Delhi Metro will continue with these measures until the cases of spitting or defacement are completely brought under control,” the spokesman added.

About one million commuters use the Metro on week days. During the Commonwealth Games, about two million commuters are expected to use the Metro on week days.