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How will the Metro staff identify whether someone is suffering from these diseases?

A sneeze is all it will take for you to be hauled out of the Metro. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials are taking no chances with contagious diseases and have drawn up a list of those who can board the train and those who cannot.

According to rules, any person found coughing or suffering from specified diseases will be prohibited from entering the train. Metro officials believe a commuter affected by a contagious disease may spread it to others. As a result, commuters suffering from the following will have to stay out: Cerebro-spinal  meningitis, chicken pox, cholera, diphtheria, measles, mumps, scarlet fever, typhus fever, typhoid fever and whooping cough.

So if you cough, the guard could stop you from boarding the train.

Discriminatory, say docs
However, some doctors wonder whether Metro officials can actually do something like that. According to Dr Ravindra, professor of medicine, Bangalore Medical College, “It is wrong to differentiate between people and I don’t know whether it can be done legally. Only doctors can certify what disease patients are suffering from. In case of H1N1, people should be screened but people with cough and fever also go to the market place or other crowded places.”

Dr Aravind Gubbi, Sahana Hospital, agreed. “I condemn such an idea because this amounts to discrimination,” he said.

“How will the Metro staff identify whether someone is suffering from these diseases? For instance, it is very difficult to diagnose diphtheria. They will need a laboratory in the stations to test people for these diseases. In that case, anyone with fever or a cough will have to carry a certificate with them. Besides, diseases like cholera and diphtheria are very rare.

They have not consulted any senior specialists or the private doctor’s association before formulating such guidelines,” he added.

Travel cards

BMRCL offers commuters the option of personalising the 11-digit travel card – the premium numbers can be had with the choice of the last three or four numbers, five or six numbers and the last seven numbers. The charges will be Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 150. There is an option to block the cards online if it is lost or stolen. Namma Metro users can choose from three kinds of travel cards (tickets), depending on usage that can be purchased online.

» Varshik: A commuter can store any value of currency up to Rs 1,500. The card has to be presented at the station’s entry and exit gates where the fare value will be deducted. The validity of the stored value is a year.

» Sanchar: A regular commuter travelling between two fixed points can purchase advance trips – 10, 40, 50 or 100 trips.

» Saral and Saraag: A commuter who requires unlimited travel throughout the day on BMTC buses and the Metro can use this card.