‘Corners’ to offer breather to commuters

Delhi Metro is planning to build exhibition corners at its stations across the capital to break the everyday monotony of the rapidly expanding network’s commuters, rushing behind trains with rare breathers in between.

DMRC plans to make those breathers more rewarding for a commuter by utilising vacant spaces at its stations, mainly where passengers interchange, through the display of various exhibits that inform as well as entertain. “They will serve two purposes. First, spread awareness, knowledge and, secondly, break the monotony as things are very mechanical at metro stations,” DMRC chief Mangu Singh said.

Singh said, an aerial glance at the movement of passengers from Rajiv Chowk’s viewers’ gallery reveals the extent of “mechanical ness” with waves of passengers entering, exiting trains and the station, all at once. “Movements seem so monotonous, especially if you see it from the viewers gallery. So events, in corners of selected stations, may break the monotony and generate interest, especially in interchange stations,” he said. DMRC has a programme to build corners at select stations to hold such exhibitions, Singh added.

It has already entered into a number of agreements with various government departments to develop a number of stations of Yellow Line (line 2) as art and culture hubs. Stations such as ITO and Mandi House have informative panels depicting the local history of those areas. Book stores have been opened at the Kashmere Gate and Vishwavidyalaya stations in association with the National Book Trust and Sahitya Akademi to promote Indian literature.