Bengaluru Metro Glitch Strands Thousands, Exposes Gaps in Crisis Management

As Namma Metro's Purple Line resumed normal operations on Wednesday morning, questions remain over the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd's (BMRCL) handling of a technical glitch that stranded thousands of commuters during Tuesday evening rush hour.

The disruption began around 6:32 pm when a loud noise was heard near Cubbon Park Metro Station, halting services for over an hour. Neither station staff nor commuters were informed about the nature of the problem, leading to confusion and chaos across multiple stations including Cubbon Park, Vidhana Soudha, Central College, Majestic, and the railway station.

With no backup transport arranged, stranded commuters were seen boarding lorries and tractors to reach home. Traffic police had to manage swelling crowds at metro stations. Commuter Jaya Prakash said, 'Technical issues can happen, but the lack of timely communication made the situation worse.'

The BMRCL operated trains on partial routes after the glitch but full service was restored only by late evening. An officer acknowledged that the corporation did not anticipate the delay would last long, and therefore did not deploy Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses for alternative transport. 'There are protocols, but our early anticipation was that the problem would get solved within 15 minutes,' the officer said.

The BMRCL announced compensation only for those who bought tickets via WhatsApp or the mobile app, not for token users. This drew criticism from affected commuters.

BJP MLC and former minister CT Ravi termed the disruptions a 'new normal' in Bengaluru, stating that 'A city celebrated as India's Silicon Valley should not be struggling to keep its most important public transport system running smoothly.'

The Purple Line alone caters to about 4.5 lakh commuters daily, out of a total Namma Metro ridership of 9-10 lakh. An investigation has been ordered into the incident.