Bengaluru: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director Mahendra Jain said that dialogues have been initiated with the Metro staffs, who have threatened to carry out a strike on March 22, and assured that shortcomings will be solved.

Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, he said that the strike would affect around 3.7 lakh passengers who use Metro daily which is not fair. Service should be free-flowing, so all needed preparations are being done to face the situation, he added.

“The final decision will be announced after the meeting of the Labour Commissioner on Friday. We have declared a notification adding Metro service under ESMA, as it is an emergency service. However, the High Court declared stay order against that. We have requested the court and submitted a petition to lift the stay order,” he said.

Regarding the alternative preparations, Mahendra Jain said, “Deputy Chief Engineers practice driving the Metro for two days in a week. We have 92 additional drivers with certificates. They are all prepared to operate the train in emergency. We don’t have a plan to invite drivers from outside. Moreover, we hope that kind of situation will not arise.”

Meanwhile, he said that the work on second-phase of Metro is going on well and it would finish in time.