Staff at the Majestic metro station say that metal frame deterrents are not enough to manage the crowd.
Despite two suicidal deaths at metro stations and two instances where people jumped onto metro tracks, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has no plan to have Platform Screen Doors (PSDs).
B. L. Yashavanth Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer at BMRCL said that having PSDs at all metro stations is not techno-economically feasible, however, discussions are on to have PSDs for new stations on Reach 6 line.The Reach 6 line will run from Kalena Agrahara on Bannerghatta Road to Nagavara in Bangalore North.
He said that the project will cost a lot of money and the burden of that money will come to the commuters in the form of increased fares. He added that BMRCL is making efforts to ensure that no commuter accidentally falls on the railway track and in the wake of it, metal frames have been installed at Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station, Majestic, that will act as deterrents.
Srividya, a home guard at Majestic metro station said that the newly installed metal frame deterrents at the Majestic station only help to a certain level as there are gaps between metal frames and people can still accidentally fall.
She said that it becomes difficult to manage the crowd at Majestic station as it is a junction between the purple and green line and sees huge passenger traffic, especially in the morning between 8 and 10 and in the evening between 5 and 8.
She said, “People don’t wait to board and there is a mess when people board and deboard simultaneously. It’s very hard to manage the crowd,” she added.
A commuter at MG Road metro station said that the metro is crammed during peak hours and as the train stops, there is a huge crowd boarding and deboarding. It is risky to travel like that. The PSDs, like the Delhi and Mumbai metro, will ensure safety at the platforms and accidents could be prevented, he added.
Platform screen doors at train stations screen the platform from the train. These are total barriers between the station floor and the train. The doors have sensors that open simultaneously with the train doors, eliminating the danger of people falling on railway tracks or committing suicide.
According to news reports, BMRCL had extended the tenders for PSDs for its metro stations, but it has not announced any update regarding it.
Prof. M.N. Sreehari, Advisor to the government of Karnataka for traffic, transportation, and infrastructure, said that BMRCL has to pay a compensation amount for each death that happens on its railway tracks. He added that efforts should be taken to ensure public safety in a public transportation system. “Fewer deaths on tracks can’t be used as an excuse to not take measures for public safety, PSDs like the ones in Delhi metro should be there in Bangalore metro as well to ensure the safety of the commuters,” he said.
