Bengaluru commuter penalized for ‘overstaying’ at Yellow Line Metro station

A commuter at Bengaluru's Namma Metro Yellow Line was fined ₹59.5 for overstaying at Silk Board station after failing to board a packed train.

The launch of Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Yellow Line wasn’t without hiccups. A commuter who tried to board a train at the busy Silk Board station on August 12, just a day after the line began operations, ended up being fined for overstaying - despite never managing to get on a train.

The Yellow Line, a 19.143-km elevated corridor connecting RV Road in Jayanagar to Bommasandra via Electronic City, was launched by PM Modi on August 10. (X/@WF_Watcher)

The passenger, who shared the incident on social media platform X under the handle @Nikhil_Bhat6, posted a photo of the fine receipt and explained what happened. According to his post, he waited at the Silk Board station for 20 minutes, but the train that arrived was already packed. Unable to board, he exited the station and was charged a penalty of ₹59.5 for overstaying his time inside.

His post read: “Yellow line is good but its practically useless if not boarding near the start points. Waited at Silk Board for 20 minutes, train came in packed & many couldn't get on. Exited the same station & got a 50 + 9.5 rs penalty for overstay.”

The fine sparked criticism online, with many users calling out BMRCL for penalising commuters over something beyond their control. A popular transit update account, Bangalore Metro Updates, responded to the situation on X, saying the penalty was unreasonable given the current shortage of trains and called on BMRCL to hold off on such charges for now.

“This is a terrible experience. A 20–25 minute wait is understandable given the current shortage of trains, but charging a penalty for overstaying at exit is absurd. @OfficialBMRCL should suspend this penalty until the frequency improves,” its post read.