The Delhi Metro and intrastate buses will run at 50 per cent seating capacity when yellow alert is sounded in the city, recommends a graded response action plan approved by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Friday in anticipation of third wave of coronavirus.
The plan has been divided into four colour-coded levels based on positivity rate (on two consecutive days), cumulative number of new cases (over a week) and average oxygenated bed occupancy (for a week), the officials said.
The yellow (level 1) alert will be sounded when positivity rate crosses 0.5 per cent or new cases increase to 1,500 or oxygenated bed occupancy reaches 500. The next level of alert, amber (level 2), will come into force if the positivity rate rises above one per cent or new cases number 3,500 or oxygenated bed occupancy reaches 700.
Amber alert will invoke the same response as yellow alert except that the Delhi Metro will run at 33 per cent of its seating capacity.
According to government officials, during yellow and amber alerts intrastate buses will play with 50 per cent seating capacity for exempted category people, and the number of passengers will be limited to two in auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws and cabs.
"The movement of the Delhi Metro will remain closed during orange and red alerts. However, the movement of intrastate buses and auto, taxis will be allowed... buses will ply with 50 per cent seating capacity for transportation of only exempted category people and only two passengers will be allowed in e-rickshaws, autos and cabs," a government official said.
The orange (level 3) alert stage will kick-in if the positivity rate crosses two per cent or new cases number 9,000 or oxygenated bed occupancy becomes 1,000. The red alert (level 4) will be the highest level alert and it will come into force if the positivity rate crosses five per cent or new cases rise to 16,000 or oxygenated bed occupancy reaches 3,000.
As per the graded response plan, no standing passengers will be allowed either in metro or intrastate buses during any of the alerts. Five passengers will be allowed in a maxi cab, while 11 in an RTV bus across all types of alerts.
"There will be no weekend curfew during yellow alert. However, weekend curfew will be observed during amber and orange alerts from Friday to Monday between 10 pm to 5 am. Night curfew will also kick in between 10 pm and 5 am in yellow, amber and orange alerts. There will be a total curfew when red alert is imposed," an official said.