BENGALURU: To ensure the safety of commuters, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is stringently cracking down on those violating Covid-19 protocols inside metro stations and trains. BMRCL booked 3,084 cases for not wearing masks in the right manner and collected Rs 7,63,070 as penalty.
The cases and fines pertain to the limited period of metro operations from March 24 to April 27 and again from July 1 to July 13.BMRCL Executive Director, Operations and Maintenance, A S Shankar told TNIE, “Maximum number of cases were booked on July 13, when 189 people were penalised for not wearing masks properly.”
Meanwhile occupancy, which was touching nearly one lakh commuters per day last month, has increased above 1.1 lakh now due to an increase in operations by two more hours from July 5. Figures released during the month of February 2021, before the start of the second wave, revealed that the daily ridership was hovering above 1.5 lakh and below 1.6 lakh per day.
Asked about the revenue front, Shankar said that BMRCL’s ticketing revenue ranged between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh per day, while it was nearly Rs 1.16 crore per day in the pre-Covid time. The daily boarding figure for Monday (July 12) was 1,23,076, while it stood at 1,08,041 commuters a week ago (July 5). Chief Public Relations Officer, BMRCL, B L Yashvanth Chavan said, “We booked cases and imposed fines in order to ensure that safety protocols are maintained. We want to provide safe travel for commuters.”