Mexico mayor arrives late for inauguration, train leaves without waiting

Mexico, Dec 25: The mayor of Tlajomulco de Zuniga got stuck on the platform during the inauguration of a new light rail line in western Mexico, and the train left before he arrived, a video of which has gone viral on social media. Many netizens who saw the video have sparked a new debate about punctuality, responsibility and VIP culture in India.

What happened?

On December 15, officials were to formally inaugurate Light Rail Line 4 in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area. By the time Mayor Gerardo Quirino Velazquez Chavez arrived jogging with his assistants to start the first train, it was already past time.

Within seconds, the doors of the train were closed and the train was gone, leaving the mayor, who had arrived for the inauguration, on the platform.

According to El Heraldo de Mexico, the new rail line will stretch 21 kilometers and connect eight stations. It will significantly reduce traffic congestion, shorten travel times and serve more than one hundred thousand passengers daily.

The video that sparked a debate in India

The clip has been viewed more than 1.5 million times on social media, where politicians and celebrities are often seen waiting for hours for events. One person commented that if such an incident had happened in India, the train driver would have been arrested.

Thousands of people have expressed their opinions, drawing sharp contrasts between Mexico's punctuality and India's tradition of giving importance to VIPs.

While one user commented that in India, if a minister is late for an inauguration, the train will wait for hours, another wrote that in India, if VIPs are not coming, will a driver dare to leave on time, if he does, he will go straight to jail or be dismissed from service.

Another user said that such incidents are not seen in India, where the VVIP culture is prevalent. In Mexico, trains run on time even if the mayor is late. In India, drivers are arrested if they don't wait for a minister. This is the difference between punctuality and VIP culture, says another.