Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) and Bhopal Metro on Thursday has issued a safety advisory assuring commuters of secure travel within metro premises, but has remained silent on the issue of passenger accident insurance, even after questions were raised by Free Press about the absence of insurance cover for daily commuters.
The advisory was released after Free Press published a report on Thursday titled “Boarding metro? Take note—no accident insurance cover for commuters”, highlighting that over 10,000 daily passengers are travelling on the Bhopal Metro without any accident insurance included in their tickets. The report questioned how the metro administration was operating services without clearly defining responsibility in case of an accident.
The controversy has also reignited debate over fares. According to official Delhi Metro data, a 14-km journey from Okhla Vihar to Rajiv Chowk costs Rs 43, whereas a much shorter 6.7-km ride on the Bhopal Metro costs Rs 40.
In its first advisory, MPMRCL stated that passengers within metro premises remain under the supervision of metro staff and assured that safety and convenience are its priority. However, the statement made no reference to insurance coverage or compensation mechanisms for passengers in case of mishaps.
Ticketing chaos at AIIMS Metro Station:
Meanwhile, operational issues added to commuter inconvenience on Thursday afternoon at AIIMS Metro Station, where around 80 members of a Jain family were unable to travel. Due to manual ticketing, long queues, and heavy crowding at the ticket counter, the group could not obtain tickets.
Metro staff also refused to issue group tickets, leading to chaos at the station. After submitting a written complaint, the entire group returned home without boarding the metro.
Following the incident, metro officials issued another advisory clarifying that ticketing is currently manual and group tickets are not being issued. Passengers were advised to reach stations 10–15 minutes early, and groups of more than 15–20 people were asked to arrive at least 20 minutes before departure to avoid inconvenience.
