Bengaluru: Namma Metro Hikes Minimum Smartcard Balance From Rs 8 To Rs 50; BMRCL Explains Why

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has now introduced a minimum limit of Rs 50 which needs to be maintained for its smartcards, reports Times Of India.

Which means, the concourse gates of any metro station in the city won’t open unless you have a minimum smartcard balance of Rs 50.

This has been done to prevent commuters from getting struck at the destination stations, after running dry of minimum balance, says BMRLC.

Hiking the minimum cap from Rs 8 to Rs 50 has not gone well with the commuters. Expressing displeasure many passengers even staged a protest at the Malleswara Metro Station.

Since most of the one way trips in the metro costs less than Rs 25 per head, many are seeking the rationale behind the spike. With over 15 lakh cards being sold, the new rule translates into a minimum of Rs 7.5 crore as buffer at any given point of time.