BENGALURU: Over 100 members of ‘Metro Prayanakara Vedike’ staged a protest on Friday morning in front of Town Hall against the move by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) mandating a minimum balance of Rs 50 in any Metro smart card before travel. Demanding immediate withdrawal of the move, the protestors also submitted a memorandum with nearly 400 signatures to the Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.
Social activist Kumar Jahgirdar told The New Indian Express, “Without holding any public consultation, how can BMRCL go ahead and take such a step. The move has to be rolled back.” The sudden announcement left many people stranded at stations on Thursday, he claimed.
Jahgirdar said that a bigger demonstration will be organised next week. “We also plan to gherao all Metro stations until BMRCL rolls back this move. No Metro station in the country has such a minimum balance rule,” he said. When contacted, a top BMRCL official said there has been no major move contemplated in light of the protests as of late Friday evening.