BMRCL, cops at loggerheads over safety
‘Police not consulted before extending Metro hours on New Year eve’
The ‘unilateral’ decision of the Bangalore Metrol Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to extend train services beyond 11 pm on December 31 has not gone well with the City Police.
In what could be termed terse remark, Sunil Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) said the BMRCL had not consulted the police before taking the decision and the City Police will not be able to provide security to Metro stations and trains beyond 11 pm on December 31.
“The BMRCL will solely be responsible if any untoward incidents happen in trains and at stations after 11 pm on that day,” he said while addressing a press meet here on Saturday.
Sunil Kumar said it was not mandatory for the Corporation to obtain prior permission before going public on such issues and the Police came to know of the decision only through the media.
The police officer said around 20,000 people were expected to gather on MG Road, Brigade Road and Indiranagar on the New Year eve. There will be heavy congestion and possibility of untoward incidents cannot be ruled out. “Hence, it is safe not to ply the trains past midnight,” he said.
Kumar said the Corporation had been advised against the proposal and the latter can go ahead by deploying its own security. However, the police have no objections to run the trains beyond 11 pm on January 1, 2 and 3.
The police will step up security all over the City on the New Year’s Eve, and deploy additional forces at sensitive and hyper sensitive areas.
More than 16,000 policemen of Law and Order and Traffic wings will be pressed into service. Twenty platoons of KSRP and 15 platoons of CAR will be deployed. Night patrolling will be intensified, Sunil Kumar said.
BMRCL’s version
Undeterred by the police caution, the BMRCL has decided to stick to its guns.
The Corporation uploaded a notice on its website, announcing its decision, but conveniently avoided any reference to Sunil Kumar’s statement to the media.
Instead, the BMRCL has planned to increase its own security personnel by two to three times the current number during the extended operational period on New Year’s Eve.
Hega Reddy, Chief Engineer, BMRCL, said he did not know whether the City police was personally informed.
“The decision to inform police is up to the management and I cannot comment on that. We will surely run the extended service for our passengers and to ensure they do not misbehave. Additional security guards will be deployed at every station,” said Reddy.
The frequency of trains between 10 pm and 2 am will be 15 minutes, he added.
Two security agencies - BVG and Guardwell Securities - commissioned by the BMRCL, will deploy additional personnel when needed, said, Ravi Prakash, assistant PRO.
Prakash said: “They have to look after the entire City on this day whereas inauguration (of Metro) was a singular affair with security needed only for Metro. So it is understood the police will not provide the same security Saturday night.”
B S Chavan, spokesperson and N Sivasailam, MD were not available for any comments.
Traffic curbs
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Security) Dr M A Saleem said the traffic police will block vehicular and public movement on major flyovers from 10 pm till early morning.
The public can use the roads beneath the flyovers. Those flyovers which connect different areas without any roads beneath will not be blocked.
He asked citizens to welcome the new year peacefully and without indulging in any act that would endanger others lives.
Three persons were killed, while six others sustained injuries on the night of December 31, 2010, due to drunken driving, he said.
