Commuters demand installation of platform screen doors at Metro stations

Bengaluru: Concerns are growing among commuters as Bengaluru’s Namma Metro stations increasingly witness suicide attempts. On Saturday, another such incident was reported when a man identified as Veeresh, a D-group employee at the Vidhana Soudha, attempted suicide by jumping onto the metro track at the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station. Metro staff quickly intervened and rescued him, after which he was rushed to Victoria Hospital for treatment.

According to data, more than 10 people have jumped or attempted to jump onto metro tracks in 2024–25 alone, causing repeated disruptions in services and panic among passengers. Each such incident leads to hours of delay, sparking outrage among daily commuters. These frequent incidents have reignited demands for installing Platform Screen Doors (PSD) at metro stations—an automated safety barrier that prevents access to the tracks until trains arrive. Cities like Delhi and Chennai have already implemented PSDs, significantly reducing such incidents.

Despite 13 years of Namma Metro operations, Bengaluru has yet to adopt this safety measure. Passengers say metro stations are turning into “suicide hotspots”, and urge BMRCL to act urgently. “No matter how much awareness is created, people are still jumping onto the tracks. Installing PSD doors is the only effective solution,” said a regular commuter.

As suicide attempts continue to rise, the pressure is mounting on the metro authorities to prioritize commuter safety with immediate infrastructure upgrades.

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The Hans India