BENGALURU: While there is no word on when Metro services will resume, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is putting all safety measures in place. Strips of yellow tape to mark spots for passengers to stand at its 40 Metro stations, as well as similar indications inside trains, have been pasted. On seats too, stickers are pasted to indicate the need to maintain distance.
Speaking to TNIE, A S Shankar, executive director, Operations and Maintenance, BMRCL, said, “We are fully ready and are putting everything in place. One six-car coach will be permitted to carry only 346 passengers in the future, less than one-fifth of the earlier strength.” Meanwhile, to ensure trains are in good shape, they are being run daily. “Two trains on the Green Line and two on the Purple Line are being run. We are running the 50 trains of Phase-I in rotation with the available staff,”Shankar added.
Nearly 700 Metro staffers across all departments have been roped in for Covid duty by the BBMP. Asked about the need to download the Aarogya Setu app, a senior Metro official said, “Yes, the app will be mandatory. This is in the interest of the safety of the people travelling, and their families.” BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth said, “Metro proposes to make the Aarogya Setu app necessary as a public health measure.
A Writ Petition has also been filed in this regard.” The MD added that though the frequency of trains will be the same in the future too, they will operate only at 15-20 per cent capacity. “Only Travel Card payment will be accepted,” he said. Shankar said that doing away with tokens was a temporary move, which will be reintroduced after the situation returns to normalcy. Asked if the state was seeking permission from the Centre to restart Metro services, a senior government official said, “As of now, no. We are not looking at starting them soon either. The number of Covid cases in Karnataka are on the rise. So chances of restarting services seem bleak.”