Bengaluru: There is a steady increase in the daily ridership in the operational sections of Phase 1 of Namma Metro. According to officials, the daily average has gone up from 1.25 lakh just a few months ago to 1.75 lakh.
After Baiyappanahalli was connected to Mysuru Road in April last year, the daily average ridership went up from 18,000 to 1.10 lakh.
“I travel to my office near Mysore Bank Circle. Nowadays, finding seating during peak hours is next to impossible. Even at other times of the day, it is tough,” says Srinivasa M., who stays near Baiyappanahalli station.
“The number of commuters during peak hours has risen steadily,” says a senior Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) official.
Numbers to go up post April
Currently, the number of people taking the operational Green Line section between Sampige Road and Nagasandra is small compared to the fully operational Purple Line. Once the Majestic interchange and the Green Line are operational in April, ridership figures are expected to increase significantly. “It will take some time to reach 5 lakh users per day but we expect this number a year after Phase I is fully operational,” the official said.
No more increase in frequency
With most trains packed during peak hours, commuters are hoping for additional services or an increase in frequency. But officials say trains are not yet running at full capacity.
A move to increase frequency to a train every 4 minutes during peak hours did not see much success. As of now, frequency is a train every 6 minutes during peak hours.
Daily commuters in Phase 1
April 2016: 51,000
June 2016: 1.35 lakh
September 2016: 1.39 lakh
December 2016: 1.75 lakh
