While Bengaluru Metro users are already facing a steep ticket price hike of up to 71%, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has also started charging fees to use public toilets at 12 metro stations. This move has sparked complaints from both passengers and workers.
According to a report by Moneycontrol, the toilet in the public areas of these metro stations are now being managed by Sulabh International. The will take care of the toilets and charge people Rs 2 to use the urinals and Rs 5 to use the toilets.
Metro Toilet Fee Sparks Public Anger
This change affects major metro stations like National College, Lalbagh, South End Circle, Jayanagar, RV Road, Banashankari, JP Nagar, Yelachenahalli, Sir M Visvesvaraya (Central College), Dr BR Ambedkar (Vidhana Soudha), Cubbon Park, and KSR Railway Station.
A senior BMRCL officer told Moneycontrol that they made this decision to keep the toilets clean, since they are often used by everyone, not just Metro passengers.
However, many people are unhappy with the new charges and have criticized the decision.
BMRCL Defends Toilet Charges, Faces Ongoing Criticism
In response to the complaints, BMRCL explained that toilets inside the paid Metro areas which you can enter only after swiping a Metro card or token are still free for passengers. Officials told the news outlet that the new charges for public toilets are not linked to the fare hike. They said the fees are only meant to help keep the toilets clean and well-managed.
However, people are still unhappy. Suryanarayana Murthy, Vice-President of the BMRCL Employees’ Union, criticised the decision. He said the Metro management spends a lot of money on unnecessary things. “Instead of charging for toilets, they should fix problems like leaks in the system. This decision does not help commuters,” he said.
Rise in Metro Ticket Prices
On February 8, BMRCL increased Metro ticket prices by up to 71%, and on some routes almost 100%. They also added a 5% extra charge during busy hours.
But just a few days later, the plan didn’t work well. According to PTI, the number of daily passengers dropped from about 8.6 lakh to 6.3 lakh, a fall of around 2.3 lakh people.
At first, BMRCL wanted to raise fares by over 100% on some routes, but after public complaints, they reduced the hike to 71%. Still, the large drop in passengers shows that many people are not willing to pay the higher prices.
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