Namma Metro at 15: Commuters hail reliable ride amid traffic turmoil

Bengaluru

Bengaluru Metro, or Namma Metro, completed 15 years of operations on October 20, marking the anniversary of the opening of its first stretch, the Purple Line, connecting MG Road and Baiyyappanahalli. While discussions around its development have been both positive and negative, given the delays and construction woes, passengers today say they enjoy a largely pleasant experience while using the metro.

“I hadn't realised it's been so long since it started. Of course, I remember the opening of the first stretch from MG Road to Baiyyappanahalli. I think that if there were no metro, more scooters and cars would be on the streets. Women would prefer buses, which are always full, while men would take two-wheelers. The metro is the best option because it's safe, saves time and doesn't give you any problems.

Once or twice, maybe there are issues, but it's largely dependable and well managed,” said Hari, a city resident. The metro currently operates three lines: the Purple Line, Green Line and Yellow Line. Passengers said these provide good coverage across the city, but more lines would bring the service within reach of more people and encourage them to use the metro to travel across Bengaluru.

“For us students, we use it all the time, along with buses. It connects us to different places. It's also good for traffic because, if it weren't there, we would have many more vehicles on the roads. Walking around is the hard part because, in some places, there are no proper footpaths. Also, with more lines coming up, we would be able to reach places for which we currently have to take buses or autos,” said Darshan, a student.

Commuters also said that, while the number of vehicles on the roads continues to rise, the metro offers a way to escape traffic and pollution. Visitors to the city also praised the service, saying that in an unfamiliar place, the metro came in handy, connecting them to areas on different sides of the city while providing a clean and safe environment.

“I've used it only a few times because I'm a tourist, but I found it very well built. I have travelled on Kochi Metro, but that is much smaller, while Bengaluru's is bigger and better connected. I got to see different corners of the city, and it connects some major areas, which was very useful. There are a lot of people, but that's to be expected because it's useful to so many,” said Krishna, a tourist.