Bengaluru's 'Namma Metro' resumes operation from today: Check guidelines

The metro rail services are starting as the Karnataka government relaxed curbs due to dip in Covid-19 cases in the state.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will start its metro services from Thursday. The 'Namma Metro', as it is known in Bengaluru, will be available from 7am to 6pm.

The 'Namma Metro' runs on two colour-coded lines spanning 24 kilometres. (PTI File Photo)

The frequency of the metro trains will be five minutes in peak hours and 15 minutes in non-peak hours, according to BMRCL. The trains will run from Monday to Friday, and honour the weekend curfew, it further added.

The BMRCL also said that the frequency of the train could be increased or decreased depending on the patronage.

For the services starting today, the BMRCL has also decided to introduce smart tokens for undertaking single journeys in addition to smart cards. It will encourage the commuters to go for cashless transactions for top-ups and purchasing the smart tokens and cards. This will help check the spread of Covid-19, the BMRCL said.

The Bengaluru metro was meant to start on June 21 in two time slots - from 7am to 11am and 3pm to 6pm. It is restarting from today after the Karnataka government relaxed Covid-19 restrictions in the state due to decline in coronavirus disease cases in the past few weeks.

Here are the guidelines put in place for metro travel beginning today:

• All the stations will have thermal scanning mechanism and passengers will have to undergo scanning before boarding to metro.
• Wearing of face masks is mandatory while being present in the station premises and metro train, according to the order of the state government. The passengers will also have to follow social distancing norms while inside the train.
• The social distancing norms will also need to be followed while using escalators.