Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday launched the ‘Metro Monday’ initiative in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel conservation amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.
To mark the launch, Gupta travelled by Metro from Kashmere Gate to ITO station before taking an electric feeder bus to the Delhi Secretariat. Cabinet Ministers Parvesh Verma and Ravindra Indraj accompanied her during the commute.
The initiative, launched under the broader ‘Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan’ campaign, aims to promote the use of public transport and encourage fuel conservation. On the first day of the campaign, several Delhi government ministers and senior officials used the Metro and other public transport services to reach their offices.
Appealing to citizens to adopt public transport more frequently, Gupta said the initiative would help conserve fuel and reduce pollution levels in the national capital.
“I would like to request all citizens that we all should use public transport as much as possible. This will not only save fuel for the country but is also extremely essential for our Delhi,” the Chief Minister said.
“Today, under the call of ‘Metro Monday’, I, all my fellow ministers, legislators and officials have made efforts to ensure maximum use of the Metro and public transport. It is heartening to see that many people of Delhi have also decided to travel via Metro today. Let us together make Delhi even better,” she added.
Earlier, Gupta had announced a series of administrative and public measures, including a proposal for two days of work-from-home every week, a one-year freeze on official foreign visits, the ‘Metro Monday’ campaign, and an appeal for citizens to observe a weekly ‘No Vehicle Day’.
The announcements followed Prime Minister Modi’s recent appeal urging citizens to reduce fuel consumption, adopt sustainable practices and support economic resilience amid global uncertainties arising from the West Asia conflict.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Gupta said the government was implementing coordinated measures at both administrative and private-sector levels to reduce fuel consumption and improve urban mobility.
“We are acting at two levels — government and private. In the Delhi government, there will be two days of work-from-home each week. The same advisory will be issued to private companies and institutions. The Labour Department will monitor this,” she said.
Gupta added that the government would also engage with companies employing large workforces to encourage flexible work arrangements.
She further urged residents to observe a weekly ‘No Vehicle Day’ by avoiding the use of private vehicles and opting for public transport instead.
“Delhi government offices will operate from 10:30 am to 7 pm, while MCD offices run from 8:30 am to 5 pm. We appeal to Delhi citizens to observe ‘No Vehicle Day’ once a week,” she said.
(ANI Inputs)
