More than 3,000 metro passengers are still waiting for the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to credit their money into their smart cards. Metro officials attributed the delay to a ‘technical snag’ and issues with the server.
Regular passengers, who depend on the smart card for their daily commute, are frustrated by the BMRCL’s failure to fix the problem, which began a few days ago. While some recharged their cards for ₹50, others have paid as much as ₹2,750. Of the 3,000 passengers affected, the majority — 2,874 — recharged their accounts through the website webtopup.bmrc.co.in . BMRCL has put a list of affected cards on its website.
Many commuters expressed frustration by the lack of support from the ground staff. Keerthana, a metro passenger, said she has been waiting for four days for the ₹200 she paid to be reflected. “The amount is yet to be credited to my card. When I checked at the ticketing counter, the staff were unable to give me a clear answer,” she said.
Niranjan R., another passenger, said, “I contacted the BMRCL call centre but received no response. I then dialled another landline number that was available on the website for travel-related enquiries. An employee who received the call told me that they have been informed that the matter would be resolved in two days. That was two days ago, and nothing has happened.”
A majority of passengers had topped up their smart cards in the last week of July. The smart card is popular as it provides a 15% discount over the token. In June, 61.3% of Namma Metro commuters on the Purple Line used smart cards. More than half (54.62%) the commuters on the Green Line use the card.
“We are working on the problem. We will fix the problem in a day or two,” said B.L. Yashwanth Chavan, Chief PRO of BMRCL.
Normal services resume on Purple Line
The BMRCL resumed normal train services from 11.25 a.m. on Sunday after it had suspended operations temporarily between Baiyappanahalli and M.G. Road stations to carry out maintenance work at Indiranagar.
Mr. Chavan said, “On Sunday morning, the train services were normal between Mysuru Road station and M.G. Road station. After 11.25 a.m., trains were operated on the entire Purple Line.”
During the suspension of services, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) operated additional buses from various metro stations on the reach. Some passengers expressed unhappiness over BMRCL failing to offer bus services for free as it had done the last time it carried out repair work at Trinity station.
