South line adds 1 lakh commuters; figures to go up

The opening of the south stretch of the Green Line brought more than one lakh additional riders for Namma Metro on Monday but not all were happy to ride in the crowded trains.

All the trains from Yelachenahalli were packed to such an extent that those at KR Market and Chickpet stations had to struggle to get inside.

Interaction with several commuters coming from Banashankari, Jayanagar and National College area indicated that some of them have put aside their vehicles while others prefered the train over Ola and Uber cars.

“The biggest takeaway from the Metro ride is not just the money, but the amount of time saved. But I was sandwiched between people on all sides and it was difficult to breathe,” said Shyamasundar Kumar, who was travelling from RV Road to Baiyyappanahalli.

The Majestic Metro station on Monday had to cope with a huge rush of passengers many of whom did not know that they don’t need to buy another ticket to switch from East-West (Purple) line to North-South (Green) line.

However, Namma Metro ground staff patiently answered the queries of hundreds of commuters who seemed to have lost their way in the swanky station. The two sets of stairs from Green Line platform lead commuters to different sides of the East-West line. Those bound for Baiyyappanahalli train ended up on platform for Mysuru Road train as they chose the wrong stairs.

Finally, a Metro staffer held a microphone and made announcements about the stairs. “Please look up and read the signages. Don’t end up on the wrong platform and miss the train,” the staffer said. Metro officials said they expect the number of riders to touch 4 lakh within the next two days.