Namma Metro deploys Home Guards to enforce commuter etiquette

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited has introduced a special drive to promote responsible commuter behaviour and better etiquette.

As part of the initiative, two Home Guards will be deployed across metro trains to counsel commuters and raise awareness. The drive will focus on ensuring that priority seating is made available to senior citizens, pregnant women and persons with disabilities who require it, and on counselling passengers against actions that inconvenience the public, such as playing loud music, chewing tobacco and eating food.

As per data shared by the BMRCL, in the past year, 57,538 commuters were found playing loud music inside trains, 37,038 commuters were counselled for occupying priority seating without vacating it for passengers in need, 1,907 commuters were found eating inside trains, and 1,677 commuters were caught chewing tobacco products.

“Certain offences causing inconvenience to co-passengers attract penalties under the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002,” BMRCL said in a statement.