Amid mounting criticism, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has scrapped its controversial plan to levy user charges for public toilets at 12 Namma Metro stations, The Hindu reported.
The move follows a series of protests and social media backlash that questioned the fairness of charging for basic amenities, especially after a steep increase in metro fares.
The BMRCL had recently outsourced the maintenance of restrooms located in the unpaid zones (outside ticketed areas) of select metro stations to Sulabh International, a non-profit organisation. Under this agreement, users were charged ₹2 for urinals and ₹5 for using toilets, charges that sparked outrage among daily commuters.
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The decision quickly drew flak from citizens and public transport activists, who argued that access to clean toilets should not be monetised in a public transit system.
Matters came to a head on May 26, when a group of protesters gathered at Dr BR Ambedkar Station near Vidhana Soudha, holding placards and demanding that the metro operator view toilets as essential public infrastructure, the report added.
{{/usCountry}}Matters came to a head on May 26, when a group of protesters gathered at Dr BR Ambedkar Station near Vidhana Soudha, holding placards and demanding that the metro operator view toilets as essential public infrastructure, the report added.
{{/usCountry}}In response to the growing criticism, BMRCL announced on May 27 that it had terminated its contract with Sulabh International and withdrawn the toilet fee.
A senior BMRCL official clarified to The Hindu, “We have rolled back the decision and also cancelled the contract with Sulabh International. This was initially done to ensure high-quality maintenance, not for revenue generation. But now, BMRCL will take direct responsibility for maintaining these toilets.”
Toilets inside ticketed areas always free
The metro operator also reiterated that toilets inside paid areas, accessible after swiping metro cards or tokens, had always remained free. The charges were introduced only for facilities outside these zones, which are accessible to the general public.
The rollback comes just weeks after BMRCL implemented a 71% hike in metro fares, another move that has already put commuters under financial strain.
(With agency inputs)