NOIDA: The Noida-Greater Noida Metro will resume services from September 7 with curtailed timings, and only passengers with face masks and body temperature not more than 37.7 degrees Celsius will be allowed entry, officials said on Wednesday.
The trains would run from 7 am to 11 am and from 5 pm to 9 pm with a frequency of 15 minutes from Monday to Saturday.
On Sundays, the services will start from 8 am, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) said.
Travelling on the Aqua Line will be a different experience for metro commuters as it will be mandatory for all passengers to wear masks and follow social distancing norms among other rules and regulations set by the government in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, it said.
"Temperature inside the train will be maintained in the range of 24-30 degrees Celsius.
As of now, trains will stop at all the stations.
However, based on future notifications, stations falling in containment zones will remain closed for commuters," NMRC Managing Director Ritu Maheshwari said in a statement.
Any such changes will be informed to the commuters through public notice, announcement and updates on the NMRC website and applications, Maheshwari added.
On passenger screening and other guidelines to be followed at the stations, the NMRC said only the passengers with face masks will be allowed.
"Every passenger will be screened by thermal sensors. The limiting maximum temperature for travel permission will be 37. 7 degrees Celsius. Passengers having 'Aarogya Setu' app with 'green status' will be allowed," according to the statement.
However, Maheshwari, the NMRC chief, told PTI that those without a smart phone or any mobile phone would also be allowed entry if they clear the screening processes like thermal screening and have face masks on.
"The concept behind the Aarogya Setu app rule is to take precautions.
The guidelines are made so as to discourage entry of people without the app," she said.
The service operator said persons entering NMRC premises will have to apply hand sanitizer after screening, and to ensure adequate social distance, markings have been made at one-metre spacing at the frisking zone and the platforms.
"Commuters should avoid touching the AFC gates while scanning the QR tickets or smart card. On escalators, a gap of at least one step should be maintained between two users. Generally, all lifts will be closed.
However, in case of request for senior citizens and physically challenged passengers, lift will be made available on request," the NMRC said.
It stressed that digital payments will be preferred for all transactions.
The Aqua Line, which connects the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar, over a distance of 29 km through 15 stations, has an average daily ridership of around 25,000 passengers, according to officials.