After a fare hike of up to 71 percent, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has introduced user charges for toilets at 12 of its stations in the first phase.
Sources told Moneycontrol that the toilets in the 'unpaid areas' of these 12 stations have been handed over to Sulabh International, which will maintain the facilities and collect user charges — Rs 2 for urinals and Rs 5 for toilets.
Also, read: Why Bengaluru Metro's fare hike of up to 71% has raised hackles
The stations include National College, Lalbagh, South End Circle, Jayanagar, Rashtriya Vidyalaya Road, Banashankari, Jaya Prakash Nagar, Yelachenahalli, Sir M Visvesvaraya Station – Central College, Dr BR Ambedkar Station – Vidhana Soudha, Cubbon Park, and Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station.
"These toilets are in the unpaid areas, where even non-Metro users used to access them. So we have decided to hand them over to Sulabh International and introduce an user fee," said a senior BMRCL official.
However, the decision to charge a user fee for toilets has not gone down well with commuters, who are already burdened by a fare hike of up to 71 percent. They said it is the duty of the Metro agency to provide free drinking water and toilet facilities.
BMRCL officials said that only the toilets in the unpaid area, which are accessible to the general public, are chargeable. "There is no charge for toilets in the paid area for Metro commuters. In fact, several Metro passengers had complained about the poor maintenance of these toilets, as they were also being used by non-Metro users. This has nothing to do with recent fare hike", the official adds.
Also, read: Bengaluru: After 71% fare hike, BMRCL invites tender for illumination of Metro pillars
BMRCL Employees' Union Vice-President Suryanarayana Murthy criticised the proposed user charges. "When lakhs of rupees are being spent without justification, imposing a user fee for toilet usage goes against passengers' interests. The management should first curb pilferage before introducing such charges," he said.
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