Bengaluru: When the clock struck four, thousands of people thronged various metro station on the green line on Sunday. The staff at the ticketing and customer care counters were taken aback by the sudden rush on the inaugural day.
"The cumulative ridership from 4 pm to 9 pm was 97,534 passengers. On Purple Line it came up to 50,334 and on Green Line, including the newly opened Mantri Square Sampige Road to Yelachenahalli, it was 47,200 in the 5 hours," said Vasanth Rao, CPRO, BMRCL.
“The combined ridership jumped from 36,863 at 6 in the evening to 80,714 at 8 at night," Rao added.
It was a relaxed Sunday for the city, but all the BMRCL staff was on their toes.
"If I took a bus from Majestic to KR Market it would take Rs 28. Metro costs a little more than that, but it is faster and comfprtable," said Rajkumar, summing up the responses from various commuters of Namma Metro.
"It takes me 10 minutes to cross the road in front of my house in Jayanagar because of the traffic. Today, it took me 10 minutes by Namma Metro, from Jayanagar to Majestic metro station," quipped Geeta, who came with her family to experience the newly inaugurated Green Line.
Her statement is a reflection of the growing frustration of Bengaloreans with the city's traffic. South Bengaluru citizens appeared elated, chit-chatting with friends and strangers about the time they can save while using the Metro.
"We came to take the first ride on the Green line just for fun. We started at RV Road metro station, went to Majestic and back. I can now use it to go to Indiranagar, where my office is, provided I am able to find feeder service from Jayanagar 9th block," said Vijay Simha.
Youngsters Aditya and Akshay were seen standing in the metro bogey, discussing in detail the prices of metro, cabs and buses.
"The best thing is East Bengaluru has been connected to the South. A lot of my colleagues, who work in ITPL, live in the South. If one were to take a cab from their office in Nagasandra to their home in Yelachenahalli, it would cost around Rs 300-400," said Aditya. "Compared to the time taken by cab and the cost, Rs 60 on a Metro taking 45 minutes is a great bargain," he added.
His friend, Akshay, pointed out that late night Metros would prove useful for long distance travellers going to Majestic and Yeshwanthpur Railway Stations.
"The stretch until Baiyappanahalli really does not make a difference. It feels like they found a lot of land and just built a big station. Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield is what we desperately need," said Akshay, who is a techie.
Raj, a father of two, spends Rs 600 per day on travel. On Sunday, he was seen with his wife and kids buying tickets from Yelachenahalli metro station.
"I work in Hosur Road and live in Jayanagar. I use a cab and that costs a fortune. I came to see if I could use the Metro until some point on the line. Whitefield and Electronic City is what we really need, I hope they finish fast," Raj said.
Jubilation at Yelachenahalli
The situation at the Yelachenahalli Metro station, the southern-most tip of the newly inaugurated line, was similar to a race track. Thousands of citizens barged into the station at 4 pm when the shutters rolled up. The excitement was palpable as commuters were eager to take the ride.
Mr Lokesh, a resident of Harohalli, who spends over 2 hours to reach the central business district ever day, said, “From now on, I need not spend so much time on road. From Harohalli I can reach Yelachenahalli in half an hour and from there I can zip to the CBD in a few minutes.”
For those commuting from Kanakapura, Harohalli and surrounding areas, the Green line is a great boon.
The father and son duo, Mr Vikram and Mr N. Pandit, said the Metro will benefit a lot of people during monsoon. “In the evening, traffic is terrible and during monsoon, it is dangerous to ride bikes. Metro will not only reduce traffic congestion on the streets, but also bring down pollution,” said Mr Pandit.
