BENGALURU: Nine-year-old Ravi’s dream is to become a pilot and fly high. His dream of flying was fulfilled, but in a different way when his father bought him a ticket for a Metro ride on Wednesday. “This is like flying on top of the city,” Ravi said as he grabbed a few balloons along the way.
The excitement was palpable as the first commercial run of Namma Metro commenced on Reach 2 between Mysuru Road and Magadi Road stations at 4pm here on Wednesday from both ends.
A number of enthusiastic passengers thronged the station to board the first train. Selfie-clicking youngsters had a merry time capturing the moment.
Manjula K G, hailing from Ballari, was the loco pilot on the train from Magadi Road to Mysuru Road. She said, “It is an exciting moment for me as I am driving the first commercial Metro with passengers on board.”
The official spokesperson of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) said, “The first day was good for us as 4,514 passengers used our services from 4pm to 10pm. These numbers will go up in the coming days as full-fledged operations will start from morning 6 to 10 in the night.” Many people were so enthusiastic that they came to the station in the morning, unaware that trains would operate from 4pm.
Vijay Srikrishna of Kengeri, who missed his first train from the Mysuru Road station, said, “My aunt and mother scolded me for getting late in the traffic, but the Metro ride has brought smiles on their faces.”
“The elevated view of the city surprised my mother, who still believed that Bengaluru was a Garden City. When she saw all the concrete structures around, she was shocked. But at the end of the day, she enjoyed her ride.”
All was not well for everyone who took the first ride. A few passengers were taken aback when the automated gates did not accept their tokens after the completion of the journey.
Security personnel had to assist them and solve their problem. Sunitha S, a commuter, said, “I was here for a Metro joyride with my sister. While exiting through the gate at the Mysore Road Station, the automated gate didn’t accept my sister’s toke. The problem was solved after the intervention of the security people.”
The first day proved cumbersome for the security personnel too as many enthusiastic passengers, waiting eagerly for the train, breached the yellow line to peep and see the train entering the station. There were cases where people even refused to return the tokens, used as Metro tickets.
Muniamma, who owns a vegetable shop at Byatarayanapura, refused to return the tokens. She said, “I have paid `17 for each token, I don’t know why they want me to return it.” It was after the security personnel explained to her the process that she agreed to return the token.
Many passengers opted for the smart card because they want to use the service on a daily basis.