Namma Metro Etiquette Drive: BMRCL Report Finds Priority Seat Misuse as Second-Biggest Violation

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited has disclosed that more than 57,000 passengers played loud music, over 37,000 used reserved seats, and thousands ate food or chewed tobacco inside trains during the last year, following a year-long etiquette drive whose findings were reported on January 30.

According to BMRCL, the campaign ran across Namma Metro trains with help from Karnataka Police home guards, who counselled commuters directly inside coaches to highlight how personal behaviour affects the shared travel environment and to remind passengers about rules under the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.

BMRCL Namma Metro etiquette drive and key commuter violations

BMRCL data from the awareness programme shows 57,538 passengers were found playing loud music, 37,038 occupied seats meant for senior citizens, pregnant women, persons with disabilities and women, 1,907 were caught eating, and 1,677 were using tobacco products while travelling on Namma Metro over the past year.

The corporation said special two-member teams of home guards travelled on trains to speak with passengers about considerate behaviour, rather than only focusing on penalties, and stressed that misuse of priority seating or disturbance to co-passengers can draw action when it breaches provisions of the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.

BMRCL Namma Metro etiquette guidelines and digital passes

"BMRCL has undertaken a special awareness drive to promote responsible commuter behaviour and reinforce basic travel etiquette within Namma Metro trains. As a shared public space, metro trains require collective responsibility from all commuters to ensure a safe, comfortable, and pleasant travel experience," the BMRCL statement said. "Certain actions such as playing loud music, eating food, or chewing tobacco inside metro trains cause inconvenience to co-passengers. It is also a shared civic duty to ensure that priority seating is made available to senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities who require it," the BMRCL said.

"BMRCL wishes to inform commuters that certain offences causing inconvenience to co-passengers attract penalties under the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002," the statement said. "Simple acts such as using earphones while listening to music, offering priority seats to those in need, avoiding consumption of food inside trains, and refraining from the use of tobacco products significantly contribute to a more pleasant and inclusive travel environment," the BMRCL added.

Alongside the etiquette drive, BMRCL has recently pushed digital ticketing options, introducing QR-based periodical passes on the Namma Metro mobile application about two weeks ago, offering unlimited travel for one, three, or five days, in addition to existing contactless smart cards that currently require a refundable security deposit of Rs 50.

BMRCL has framed these steps, including onboard counselling and digital passes, as part of continuing efforts to make metro travel smoother and more considerate, combining stricter awareness of travel etiquette with measures aimed at improving commuter convenience on Bengaluru’s expanding Namma Metro network.