Namma Metro Shutdown: Autos, Ola, Uber prices soar as commuters suffer

The first service of Bengaluru's Namma Metro is supposed to begin at 5:45 am. However, for tens thousands of passengers, it proved to be a harrowing time as they found the Metro services suspended, as far as they knew, 'indefinitely'. 

It is suspected that the shutdown is a fallout of an ugly scuffle that occurred on Thursday between the Metro staff and members of Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) over the misuse of an escalator. The central exchange station, Kempegowda, was witness to scenes of chaos as thousands remained standing outside the station, hoping the Metro would begin soon. 

To no one's surprise, the ones who were making a financial killing were autorickshaws and cabs - whose prices correspondingly spiked. Autos and cabs were jam packed outside several stations, especially those along school routes and the central Kempegowda station. Asianet Newsable correspondents overheard haggling that ranged from Rs 50 over the meter to one and a half times the meter price. 

Speaking to Asianet Newsable, one traveller stated that while the price was Rs 60 at the start of the ride, the auto driver demanded Rs 80 at his destination. "He got very aggressive, but some locals around my office intervened and calmed the issue," he said. "Autos were asking me to pay some Rs 200 to Rs 300 to go from the Baiyappanahalli Metro station to Trinity," said Hastha, who usually took the Metro to work on MG Road. 

Similarly, both Ola and Uber had surge pricing in place, sometimes as high as 1.7 times the fare. 

The morning has proved especially harrowing for parents whose children regularly travel to schools and colleges on the Metro. Huge groups of children could be spotted in many stations, apparently unsure about how to proceed. Many parents chose to pay the elevated fares, in a bid to reach schools or colleges on time. Public buses were packed. 

Asianet Newsable correspondents spoke to various authorities from the Metro, from the official Public Relations Officer to the guards, and got several different responses. While some said it was a technical glitch, others told us that the shutdown was 'indefinite' and still others explained that they had no idea when the service would resume. 

The official statement from the Namma Metro is twofold - officials say the service has stopped due to a glitch and the PRO Vasant Rao said services might resume in half an hour (this was at 8:30 am Friday).

• Namma Metro
• Metro shutdown
• Ola
• Uber