JOIN USIt is nearly two-and-a-half years since the first stretch of Namma Metro between MG Road and Bayapannahalli was opened to the public, yet the excitement among Bangaloreans has not diminished.
On October 20, 2011, when the train service was thrown open for the public at 4 pm, 39,000 passengers travelled in 45 trips till 11 pm. Cut to 2014, on March 1, 2014, as many as 48,000 passengers travelled between Peenya and Sampige Road on the second stretch of Namma Metro, thus setting the cash registers ringing for the BMRCL which got richer by nearly Rs 10 lakh.
On the second day, on Sunday, the response was slightly better with approximately 60,000 passengers taking a ride on Namma Metro’s first Green Line on the North South Corridor (Peenya-Sampige Road).
Compared to Delhi Metro, which carried around two lakh passengers on its maiden run between Shahdara to Tis Hazari covering a distance of 8.3 km on a four-coached Metro train on December 24, 2002, the number is substantially less.
However, the BMRCL officials say that it’s too early to make any comparison and that the Metro Rail will become a lifeline for commuting for Bangaloreans once the entire stretch of over 42 km in the first phase is completed.
Officials say that the number of passengers on the new line could have been more if not for the rains that played a spoilsport on Saturday. Even on Sunday, people made it a point to come out of their homes to be a memorable weekend.
Notwithstanding the class, people from all walks of life experienced the Metro ride.
The excitement could be gauged from the fact that two daily wage labourers, who did not have adequate money for the return journey, took Namma Metro from Sampige Road to Srirampura.
“With only Rs 20 in our pockets, we could not afford the return journey tickets of Rs 10 each. So what? We will walk our way back. But we cannot afford to miss the happiness of getting on the train the very next day of its inauguration,” said the duo beaming with joy.
Passengers were queuing up till well past 10 pm to buy tickets for a ride on the last train at 11 pm.
Officials said that incomplete civil works at Peenya Industry and the Peenya stations will take another two months to be completed.