BENGALURU: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Tuesday reversed its decision to impose a fee of Rs 2 and Rs 5 for using toilets at 12 Namma Metro stations, following widespread protests and public outrage.
“The charges for using the toilets in the Metro stations will not be collected, and it is open to public use free of cost,” a BMRCL official said. BMRCL had handed over the management of the toilets located in the unpaid areas (outside the ticketed zone) of 12 metro stations to Sulabh International, a non-profit organisation. Under this arrangement, users were being charged Rs 2 for the urinal and Rs 5 for the toilet.
Following public backlash and protests, BMRCL also cancelled its contract with Sulabh International. Controller of Sulabh International, M Vishwanatha, said, “We have withdrawn our workers from the 12 Metro stations after BMRCL announced the decision on imposition of fee.”
T Narasimha Murthy, Advocate-cum-Human Rights Activist, who led a protest opposing the fee, said, “I am happy that the BMRCL officials have made this decision, I urge them that if in future they want to implement anything but before that let them have a public debate”.
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 necessities, not premium services.