BENGALURU: A tiny, innocuous item has made it to the list of items forbidden on Metro trains and stations: a whistle. A printout bearing this information has made its appearance at the entrance of a few Metro stations. Asked about this surprise inclusion in a list which includes explosives, radioactive substances, fire crackers, knives and so on, a Metro official said, “The blowing of a whistle could interfere with the signal given to the Train Operator by the security personnel on the platform to kickstart the train. So, in the interest of public safety, we have banned it.”
Some guards blow a whistle to communicate with the driver that all passengers have got on board and the train is good to go while some do not, he added. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited staff go all out to ensure the Train Operator’s concentration is not disturbed, the official said. “We do the same with anyone attempting to play music loudly in the coach next to the operator. Any kind of disturbance could impact passenger safety,” the official said.
Asked what is done in such cases, the official said, “The Operator makes an announcement over the microphone requesting whoever is playing music to switch it off. If not able to convey, then a message is relayed through the in-house phone to the Operations and Control Centre in Baiyappanahalli. The Centre then alerts the nearest Metro station and the Station Controller waits at the platform and instructs the passenger to stop the music as soon as the train reaches the particular station,” he added.
“This has taken place quite a few times and we have done it. Penalty has been levied on a few passengers for causing other kinds of nuisance. But so far we have not taken anyone to task for listening to music loudly or whistling,” he added.
Three-feet marker at stations
The angry arguments over the height of a child between parents and Metro staff have now been done away with thanks to the exact measurement now drawn up at Metro stations near the ticketing counter. A blue and white height marker listing readings from 0 to 3 feet recently affixed to the wall clearly highlights the three-feet height.