BENGALURU: THE Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has notched up nearly `20 crore in a year through advertisements at its stations and is now gearing to increase it manifold in the upcoming financial year. It is now planning to open up every available space in the 40 stations of Phase-I for advertisements shortly.
The experimentation in this connection has already begun at Kempe Gowda Interchange Metro station. An unconventional kind of advertisement greets one here at the escalators. The handrails stand out in an eye-catching pink with a product being advertised.
Asked about the selection of this peculiar spot, General Manager (Finance), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd U A Vasanth Rao said, “The advertisement company wanted to try it out and we gave the consent. It is a short-term contract for three months.”
Rao said that similar kinds of advertisements will be permitted at all Metro stations if companies are interested. “Of the `20 crore we earn, nearly 12 crore comes from advertisements on pillars (piers outside Metro stations which bear the viaduct on which rails are laid). The standees (a standing display promoting a brand or product) at Metro stations are now becoming popular and there is huge demand for them, he added.
“We are getting many queries in connection with advertisements at Metro stations. BMRCL waited for some time before opening up its stations for advertisements in a big way so that the ridership figure also increases. This translates to more eyeballs for the advertiser and also fetches us good rates,” Rao said. It is up to the advertisers to put up their ads on handrails, lifts, platforms or standees or any space inside the station of their preference, he added.
“Tenders will be called for shortly. We are looking at two big agencies taking the contracts, possibly one for the Purple Line and another for the Green Line,” the GM said.
Asked about advertisements inside trains, Rao said that the focus presently will be more on stations than inside trains. BMRCL’s daily revenue through fares touches between `90 lakh and `1 crore. Its ridership averages between 3.6 lakh and 3.7lakh daily. “When we get a sizeable income through our commercial ventures, BMRCL hopes to make use of it to repay its debts,” he added.