5L Metro ridership indicates Covid subsiding

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

An increasing number of people have resumed using Namma Metro services over the last few months. As most offices and colleges have reopened post-pandemic, citizens prefer to travel by metro. The Namma Metro's daily ridership recently crossed the 5-lakh mark, the highest since the outbreak of Covid-19.

A BMRCL newsletter released on Saturday shows the number of passengers on June 4 (Saturday) was 5.07 lakh, the highest since services resumed on September 7, 2020, after the lockdown. The letter also said that the highest daily-revenue collection was on June 6 at Rs 1.2 crore. BMRCL chief PRO BL Yeshwanth Chavan, said, "The ridership is high on weekdays. It is mostly because many people are returning to offices and colleges are reopening. But still, the number is not as high as it was in the pre-pandemic period. Even now, many people are working from home." Jinit, a regular commuter, says he prefers travelling in the metro because it's pocket-friendly.

"I take a metro from MG Road to Byppanahalli every day. It just costs me Rs 20, and I save a lot on transportation every month. Now that I have to go to the office every day, taking a cab or auto would be very expensive," he said.

Another commuter, Supriya, says, "I don't want to be stuck in Bengaluru's traffic, especially on a rainy day. Taking the metro is far superior. It's safe and fast." However, many commuters also complain about the connectivity of the metro services. "There are only two lines, and the metro is not densely connected to all areas. I work in Electronic City, and I have to take a bus or cab daily," says Ananya. "Also, it would be a lot better if the metro functioned till late at night," she added.