Lax security was a cause for concern on the day services on the Peenya to Sampige Road stretch were thrown open to the public on Saturday.
Though entry points to all metro stations are equipped with metal detectors, a visit to these stations showed that as the crowd swelled, many people were let in without even the customary frisking.
Worse still, none of the baggage scanners in the stations in the second phase were operational while in some cases they had been installed as late as Saturday. Sandal Soap Factory station did not even have a baggage scanner. Private security personnel were randomly checking bags of passengers. However, not all baggage was checked.
Kamal Pant, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), said that security at the stations is the responsibility of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).
The officer added that a baggage scanner was crucial at the stations and had to be installed at the earliest.
Mr. Pant said that there was a latent risk of anti-social elements misusing this lacuna.
BMRCL managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola said that the baggage scanners had developed some technical snag, which would be fixed in a day or two. He said that all 10 stations would be equipped with functional luggage scanners soon.
A team of five policemen led by an assistant sub-inspector had been deployed in each of the 10 stations on Saturday.
Mr. Pant said that the city police were deployed only for maintaining law and order, and crowd control, as authorities were expecting huge crowds in the first weekend. He said that the deployment would be withdrawn once the crowds reduce.
