Stalled trains, bumper-to-bumper traffic, packed BMTC buses, and around 1 lakh commuters left to fend for themselves ... These were some of the scenes in the city on Friday, when a flash strike by employees brought Namma Metro to a standstill for more than six-and-a-half hours. For those who had brought their vehicles to the stations, it was a long drive to their offices as traffic on the way was much heavier than usual.
“I arrived at the Kempegowda Metro Station at 8.45 a.m. I saw a huge crowd outside and heard that the Metro wasn’t running. So I booked a taxi, but it took 25 minutes to arrive. I reached office about an hour later than I usually do,” said Khyati Datt, a commuter who was stuck at Majestic.
The Kempegowda inter-change (the link between the Purple and Green lines), Mysuru Road, Nagasandra and Baiyappanahalli stations witnessed the maximum confusion. Other commuters recounted similar experiences, and many pooled in to share a cab. Around 7 a.m., with no signs of services resuming, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) came to the rescue. Special buses were deployed at stations to ferry large groups with common destinations. Around 20 buses operated at Mysuru Road Metro station alone.
“The rush was the heaviest at Kempegowda Metro Station and we had staff members on the ground monitoring the functioning of the extra buses,” said a senior BMTC official.
The disruption of services till around 11.45 a.m. resulted in massive traffic jams that affected daily commute. “The road near the Swami Vivekananda Road station usually sees a jam but traffic flows continuously. On Friday, it took me 20 minutes to travel 1 kilometre on this stretch. Traffic was standing still,” said Nachiketa Das, who works in Baiyappanahalli.
Across town, Mysuru Road also saw massive traffic jams. The Nayandahalli flyover, which is adjacent to the Mysuru Road station, was packed with vehicles. “Usually it takes me 45 minutes to reach Town Hall from Nayandahalli. Today it took me 90 minutes,” said Mansoor Khan, a resident of Ullal.
