Nowhere to sit: Commuters raise concerns over lack of seating at Yellow Line stations in Bengaluru

Time of India

3 days ago

Bengaluru: Despite the fanfare surrounding the launch of the much-anticipated Yellow Line, a key concern continues to plague commuters — that of inadequate seating arrangements at Metro stations.
Commuters say with long wait times between trains and swelling crowds during peak hours, lack of proper seating arrangement poses significant discomfort, especially for elderly passengers and those with health conditions.
In a reality check by TOI, many stations have no benches, forcing commuters to stand for extended periods or lean against pillars as the trains run at 25-minute intervals. People were seen sitting on slabs around the pillars.
Bommasandra, Ragigguda, Electronic City, Silk Board, and other stations don't have seats.
Pradeep Ramareddy, 37, travelling from Bommasandra to RV Road, said: "Even this morning, I noticed how heavily crowded the trains were. Without proper seating arrangements, travelling becomes extremely tiring, especially at the end of a long workday. The platforms don't have any seats, so people are left standing for the entire wait.
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This isn't a Yellow Line–only issue. Other Metro stations face more or less the same problem — the crowd is simply too large for the facilities available.
We understand the service is still in the initial phase and officials are trying their best, but this is a basic need and should be fixed at the earliest."
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Sulochana S, 62, who was travelling from Jayadeva Hospital to RV Road Metro stations, shared her experience as she was waiting for 20 minutes for a train.
She said: "On Wednesday morning, a passenger who himself looked very tired gave me his seat on the slab next to the pillar. I was really grateful. But honestly, seats should be arranged, which is something basic. How can elderly people like me manage otherwise? Standing for long periods, both on the platform and inside the train, is simply not possible at this age.
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Shreya Raghavendra, a 26-year-old travelling from Electronics City to Jayadeva Hospital, said: "I reached early today, so I managed to find a slab near a pillar to sit on, but that's just luck.
Many who came after me had no choice but to stand. Since the trains take a long time to arrive, people end up perching wherever they can — on ledges, stairs, even near the pillars — while others just stand helplessly."
For first-time users, it's a shock that wasn't expected. Hamsini Bhat V, a 20-year-old student and first-time user of the Yellow Line at RV Road Metro station, said: "When I first entered the Metro station, I looked at the wait time.
Luckily, it was only 5 minutes. I searched for benches; they were full, and most of the crowd was standing."
Another first-time user, Samrudha Varshini, a 21-year-old student, said: "It already took them years to construct the line, and it's sad that they forgot something so basic and simple. The crowd is also very large, it's high time the govt acts on this."
KK Sudha Mai, 50, travelling from Jayadeva Hospital to Konanakunte Cross, had to wait for 18 minutes for the train. She said: "I was tired of standing, so when I searched for chairs, there were none. At least in other Metro stations, there were a few. I still can't understand how something important is left unnoticed by officials."
BMRCL officials maintained that such teething problems would be addressed soon.
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