BENGALURU: From snide remarks and jokes about ‘toy trains’ emerging as a crucial transportation mode during its launch year, to repeated complaints about jampacked coaches and platforms today, Namma Metro is now viewed as the solution for the city’s desperate transportation crisis.
Metro will step into its 13th year on Friday, high on the success of the recently launched full Purple Line, which increased its ridership by over 1 lakh and stretched its overall network to 73.81km. With the average daily ridership crossing 7 lakh daily, and even touching 7.5 lahks on October 13, mobility prospects look bright.
A S Shankar, Executive Director, Operations and Maintenance, told TNIE, “When the festival season ends this year and all IT companies insist on working from the office, we expect patronage to touch 8.5 lakh. It could happen any time between January and March 2024.
We expected 75,000 rides after connectivity to KR Pura was established. It is now nearing the 80,000-mark.” When the RV Road-Bommasandra Line (Yellow Line) gets commissioned, ridership will go up by another 1.5 to 2 lakh, he said. “We are looking at crossing 10 lakh easily by then,” Shankar said. Another official said the Yellow Line would be opened in February 2024.
As of date, Metro’s overall ridership since its inception stands at 94 crore, he said. BMRCL has begun making an operational profit of Rs 4 crore per month. “We earn revenue of Rs 50 crore per month, and our operational expenses come to Rs 46 crore a month. The surplus goes towards salaries and utility bills,” he said.
Asked about new plans, Shankar said, “At present, a QR ticket on one’s mobile permits only one passenger to pass through. We will soon enable it to allow up to six people using one ticket. This is based on public demand and will be very beneficial to families.”
Bengaluru Metro has hired 96 new train operators who are undergoing training. “They will be utilised to run trains for upcoming lines and existing ones,” he said.
At present, 52 trains are operational, 30 of them on the Purple Line which has a punctuality record of 99.35 per cent. The 22 trains of the Green Line have a punctuality record of 99.28 per cent.
PRIYANK BOARDS METRO TO WHITEFIELD
Minister for IT/BT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge on Thursday took a ride on the Metro and was bowled over by the experience. Taking to social media site X, he posted, “Today I opted for the Purple Line for my work commute and it was a great ride. A 30-40 minute ride from Vidhana Soudha to Whitefield. An hour spent at the event. Back to the office for a Cabinet meeting. Additionally a couple of wonderful conversations onboard helped.” He added that the KR Pura to Whitefield section had seen a 100 per cent increase in boarding since its launch.
NEW BMTC FEEDER ROUTES
M-9: Hoodi and KR Puram - 8.45 am to 5.55 pm
M-9: KR Puram and Hoodi - 8 am to 5.10 pm
MF15: JP Nagar Metro station to JP Nagar 7th phase (Brigade Gardenia) - 7 am to 9.30 pm
MF15: JP Nagar 7th (Brigade Gardenia) to JP Nagar Metro station - 6.35 am to 9 pm
1MF-21: Banashankari and BTM Layout (Kuvempunagar) - 6.40 am to 8.25 pm
1MF-21: BTM Layout (Kuvempunagar) to Banashankari - 6.40 am to 8.25 pm
F-19: Jayanagar 9th Block to Jayanagar Metro Station - 6.10 am to 9 pm