Bengaluru: For Madhu Chakrapani Rao’s family, shopping at Malleswaram mall and the nearby market meant a full day’s job. They had to plan their day in advance before they could return to their house in Nagasandra, a distance less than 15 km.
Last weekend however, they had a surprisingly smoother shopping experience, which all ended in a few hours. Thanks to the recently launched Namma Metro, residents of Nagasandra, Jalahalli and Dasarahalli travelling to Malleswaram say they are saving at least two hours they spent on road.
Reach 3B of Namma Metro, which goes all the way from Nagasandra to Malleswaram, is receiving the thumbs up from residents in surrounding areas of Nagasandra. Just two days after its launch, many residents are switching to Metro trains to go to Malleswaram and even Peenya. Traveling no longer means waiting for hours at signals on national highways.
Mr Rao, explains, “Earlier, it took us at least 60-75 minutes to go to Malleswaram from Nagasandra. Just to check how much time we could save, I decided to go to Malleswaram on Sunday. It was a short journey of only 28 minutes. We are happy like never before.” And that’s not all, Metro trains have put an end to the atrocities of auto drivers who demanded exorbitant fares. "Auto drivers demanded Rs 100 and even Rs 150 for a trip to Peenya from Nagasandra. Now, we don't see any need to take an auto or even a bus," he added.
Subash, another resident of Nagasandra, is now travelling to his factory in Peenya via the Metro. On Monday, he took his first Metro ride to office. “It was a great experience. I traveled from Nagasandra to Jalahalli, the area where my factory is located. From today, I will trade my vehicle for a Metro ride. It saves time,” he said.
Meanwhile, the BMRCL figures for the weekend suggest that residents from this pocket are open to commuting by train. According to BMRCL officials, on Saturday, 6,000 passengers have traveled from Nagasandra to Jalahalli, while 8,250 people have taken the Metro train on Sunday alone.
