ITO brings relief to many, but some irked by slow service

NEW DELHI: Inaugurated on Monday, the ITO Metro station saw a much better footfall on the second day of its operations. Extension of the Violet line of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation past Mandi House Metro station has lifted a load off the shoulders of the office-going crowd in the area.
Entering the air-conditioned station from the scorching heat, one felt relief and their attention was pleasantly occupied by the beautiful artworks adorning its walls.The commuters had mixed reactions to offer when it came to ease of travel brought about by the opening of the new station.
Some were all smiles, as it has reduced their daily auto expenses. For some others, it was a relief to be able to walk to their workplaces. This change has hit the business of auto drivers but the loss incurred by them is minimal, said one of them.
The train to ITO comes at an interval of seven minutes, said a DMRC official. However, there were complaints by some passengers who said they had to wait as long as 20 minutes. Anil Pawar, who works at Indian Medical Association, said, “I’ve been waiting for the past 12 minutes and have to reach Dwarka on time but the slow service is becoming problematic.”
The newly-opened station is expected to ease traffic coming through the Delhi Metro network and also decongest traffic pressure at ITO intersection. It brought reprieve to a large section of people who would otherwise be seen waiting for a bus near Mandi House to reach their respective destinations.
A woman employee of UGC told TOI, “I travel by bus from Moolchand. Today, a group of 5-6 misbehaved with me and tried to molest me. So I am taking the Metro. It’s much safer.”
However, there were a few complaints. Rama Singh generally takes a local train from ITO station to reach her residence in Rani Bagh. “I thought of taking the Metro for a day but now I am certain that I will revert to my old mode of travel. It is taking too long as the frequency is low,” she said.
Sandeep Bhardwaj, stationed at Police Headquarters, said, “This station has brought no benefit for me. I reside in Mundka and have to change lines to reach home. It will be more crowded at Mandi House as compared to Pragati Maidan. So I think I will get back to using the Blue line.”