During the rush hour, the Delhi Metro is hardly the epitome of civilised behaviour. You push and shove and elbow out, you don’t let others get off before you bulldoze your way in, you get into fights for that one seat. Periodic announcements on the PA system to give reserved seats to whom they’re meant for, to let travellers disembark before getting in, and sundry other – instructions? Requests? – could might as well be called just background music, to be heard and ignored. Delhi-NCR’s commuters have so far refused to learn good manners on how to travel and let travel, but the Metro would still like to have faith in your ability to transform, it seems. It has come up with another, rather novel attempt to get you to behave – by giving such tutorials in a restaurant.
A Metro coach-style restaurant is in the works on the Noida-Greater Noida Aqua line. Perhaps in a nicer ambience, with no rushing deadline and your belly full, you might be more receptive to lessons in manners?
When will you learn, NCR?
First, it was the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) former chief, E Sreedharan, who used to appeal to Delhiites to maintain commuter etiquette while travelling in the Metro, and would often say that while the Delhi Metro was the best Metro in the world, it certainly wasn’t so when it came to etiquette. Then, it was CISF chief OP Singh who recently asked CISF officials to train volunteers who can offer lessons in Metro etiquette to commuters. Now, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) has come up with the idea of a Metro coach restaurant to try to achieve the same goal.
We hope this will work: NMRC
DMRC officials tell us that it was the NMRC’s managing director, Santosh Yadav’s idea to set up a Metro coach restaurant. An official who is involved in the project told us, “We see it daily that when a train is announced, passengers stand near the edge, cross the yellow line, and bend forward towards the tracks. Commuters behave as if it is some kind of race, and refuse to stand in queue. It has led to many mishaps. So we have decided to use a demo coach to teach commuters Metro etiquette. We will serve snacks and beverages inside the coach, but the coach will be designed in a way to explain etiquette to commuters. There will be posters and announcements.”
But when announcements in the Metro don’t work, will the restaurant’s announcements have any effect? Says an official, “We hope it will work because of the design. We are not focusing on giving a fine-dining experience, the purpose of setting up a restaurant in a model coach is to teach Metro etiquette in an interesting way.”
Curiosity will draw people:
When it’s not easy to get NCR’s denizens to follow simple rules like making a queue, why will they even go to a restaurant which will lecture them? “Curiosity”, the official replies. “We will be able to attract commuters because everyone would like to know what a Metro restaurant is all about.”
And what about those who don’t want to pay? He says, “You don’t need money to visit the Metro restaurant. Those who don’t want to eat can at least visit, but we are planning to introduce some kind of entry system, like at the Metro stations, where one can use a token.”
NMRC officials add that the restaurant is in the planning stage, and will begin operations after the Aqua line will be functional in May-June next year.
