A viral video of commuters leaping over automated fare collection (AFC) gates at Jama Masjid station on Delhi Metro has sparked scathing responses from netizens and concerns about security and crowd control. While many lambasted the poor civic sense, officials have called the incident a “momentary reaction” to a sudden influx of commuters.
The incident took place on February 13 at Jama Masjid Metro Station on the Violet Line. The viral video of 52 seconds depicts people leaping over AFC gates with others cheering and recording the act on their mobile phones.
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Public Reaction to the Incident
Social media went into an uproar, with people giving vent to their shock at seeing commuters avoiding the fare gates. Dassy said, “Such people lack civic sense. I’ve never seen something like this ever in Delhi metro.”
Another commenter, Woodpecker, was concerned about security, writing, “The Delhi Metro incident in which commuters jumped over the AFC gates at the Jama Masjid station… is a shocking matter. It raises grave concerns over security in the Metro. How dare the passengers break the law in the presence of the authorities. It reflects very poorly on the alertness and responsibility of the authorities.”
A third user mentioned continued mismanagement, saying, “It’s been over 20 years for Delhi Metro now, but still on unmanned platforms, you will see people coming out of Metro banging their heads with those entering in and exchanging some cute words. Insane consistency.”
Delhi Metro’s Response
Amid widespread criticism, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) released a clarification, claiming that the situation was in hand.
“there was a temporary surge of passengers for a brief time when some passengers bypassed the AFC gate by jumping over it to exit,” said Anuj Dayal, Principal Executive Director of Corporate Communications, DMRC.
He added, “Security personnel and other staff were adequately present to counsel such passengers, and the situation was never out of control. Rather, it was a momentary reaction of some passengers due to the sudden surge at AFC gates.”
Issues Regarding Metro Safety
The incident has given rise to controversy regarding metro security and passenger control. Although the DMRC has ensured that there were security guards present, the general opinion is that more stringent measures are essential to avoid such incidents in the future.
As Delhi Metro’s network continues to grow, control and security pose a major problem, particularly at peak hours and unexpected rushes of passenger traffic.
