BENGALURU: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) rolled back its decision to impose a fee of Rs 2 and Rs 5 for using toilets at 12 Namma Metro stations on Tuesday following public outrage.
A BMRCL official said, "The charges for using the toilets in the metro stations will not be collected and they are open to public use free of cost."
BMRCL had handed over the management of toilets located in the unpaid areas (outside the ticketed zone) of 12 metro stations to Sulabh International. Under this arrangement, users were being charged Rs 2 for the urinal and Rs 5 for the toilet.
Following public backlash and commuter protests, the decision was reversed. BMRCL also cancelled its contract with Sulabh International, the non-profit organisation that had been tasked with managing these toilets.
M. Vishwanatha, Controller of Sulabh International Karnataka, said, "We have withdrawn our workers from the 12 metro stations after BMRCL announced that toilets will not be collecting usage fees."
Commenting on the rollback, advocate-cum-activist T Narasimha Murthy, who led a protest opposing the fee for using toilets at metro stations, said, "I am happy that the BMRCL officials have made this decision, I urge them that if in future they want to implement anything, let them have a public debate before that."
In his campaign for basic amenities on the metro network, he said the charge was 'an unfair extra burden' following an average 71 per cent fare hike and that clean toilets and drinking water are basic necessities, not premium services.