4 days ago
Yellow Line commuters demand Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited scrap station overstay penalty
Bengaluru: Peak-hour travel on Namma Metro's Yellow Line has turned into a commuter's trilemma: One, commuters have to wait for a gruelling 25 minutes for the next train. Two, squeezing into an overcrowded carriage.
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Three, if you decide to exit the station, seeking alternative modes of transport, you will be slapped a penalty of Rs 50.
That's exactly what happened to Nikhil Bhat at Silk Board station. He was headed towards R V Road Interchange, but when the packed train finally rolled in, there was no way for him to get in. As he headed out, he was fined Rs 50 for having overstayed at the platform by more than 20 minutes.
According to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) rules, passengers are liable to be penalised if they do not exit a station within 20 minutes of entering the paid area with a smart card or token.
However, this rule has become a sore point for commuters on the Yellow Line (from RV Road to Bommasandra with 16 stops) as the train frequency itself is 25 minutes.
When Bhat put out a copy of the penalty-paid receipt on social media, it evoked terse reactions from fellow commuters, with many demanding that BMRCL suspend the penalty on Yellow Line stations until frequency of service is increased.
In fact, Bhat had travelled from Bellandur to Silk Board by bus, hoping to continue to R V Road by Metro.
"Buses to Banashankari are limited, so I thought if I take the Metro, I could reach my destination much faster," he said. Bhat tapped his Metro smart card at Silk Board station around 6 pm, where the passenger information display showed that the next train would arrive in 18 minutes.
"The platform was already crowded. When the train arrived, I couldn't board because there was no space," he recalled.
With the next train another 30 minutes away, Bhat decided to exit the station and take a bus.
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However, at the automated fare gate, he was told he could not leave without paying a fine.
"When Metro staff at the station said I had to pay Rs 50 for overstaying, I tried to explain that with trains available only at 30-minute intervals and the carriages so overcrowded, I shouldn't be penalised. But they said they won't be able to do anything," he said.
In addition to the Rs 50 penalty, Bhat was charged another Rs 9.50 as the minimum fare.
"I ended up paying for a journey I never took — just for spending 20 to 22 minutes at the station," he added.
Commuters criticised BMRCL's policy, calling it unfair to impose an overstaying penalty when trains are not running at a higher frequency.
However, BMRCL defended its decision. Chief PRO of BMRCL, B L Yeshwanth Chavan, said: "The rule has been in place for years. It's not new. We have already informed commuters that trains on the Yellow Line are running at 25-minute intervals."
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More Yellow Line Coaches Begin Arriving
BMRCL said it has started receiving coaches for its fourth trainset for the Yellow Line. One coach had already reached the Hebbagodi depot, while three more were expected by late Wednesday night.
The remaining coaches were near the Andhra–Karnataka border.
According to an official, assembling the coaches and conducting necessary tests will take about two weeks.
"By the end of August or the first week of September, the fourth train will be operational. This will allow BMRCL to increase service frequency to 20 minutes," the official said.
