Bengaluru Metro Raises Minimum Balance for Smart Card to Rs 50, Commuters Flay 'Daylight Robbery'

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), which runs the Namma Metro, has raised the minimum balance on smart cards from Rs 8.50 to Rs 50, angering commuters who called it a “daylight robbery”.

“In order to avoid inconvenience to the metro commuters for topping up the contactless smart card at the destination stations, the minimum balance on the card henceforth has to be a minimum of Rs 50 at the originating station. This has come into effect from the evening of 27th March 2019,” BMRCL said in a press release, asking commuters top up their cards online, the News Minute reported.

Yashwant Chavan, the spokesperson for the corporation, said the decision was taken as commuters were misusing the minimum balance, which often led to altercations between metro staff and passengers.

However, the announcement, which caught many commuters unaware, received much flak on social media. Several passengers wanted to know why the minimum balance was so high when a ride to the next station costs only Rs 8.50, with one person even calling it a “daylight robbery”. Many were also annoyed with the metro for not being informed about the change earlier and landing up at the metro station with a low balance.