At a time when the metro ridership has hit its peak post the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a demand by riders to introduce more services during peak hours. However, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials maintain that the existing frequency of services are sufficient and there are no plans to increase the frequency of trains. On July 16, the Namma Metro services recorded the highest ridership of 5.17 lakh since the outbreak of the pandemic.
In June, for the first time after the pandemic, the metro ridership crossed the 5 lakh mark. The average ridership per day was around 4.61 lakh. The revenue generated was ₹34 crore in June. In January, the ridership recorded was an average of 2.3 lakh per day and the BMRCL earned revenue of ₹58 lakh per day. In the last six months, the ridership has doubled.
Anjum Parwez, MD, BMRCL said, “Though the ridership is gradually increasing, there is no need for increasing the frequency of trains for the time being. The six-coach trains are operated with good frequency and can accommodate more passengers. However, during peak hours, we will run additional schedules to clear the rush if required.” The official said there is a demand to run an extended train line from Mysuru Road to Kengeri, but maintained that existing schedules are sufficient to meet the demand. “Existing schedules can carry ridership of upto 5.7 lakh per day. Once that is reached we will run the required number of trains.”
Return to work from offices is one of the factors for increased ridership. Pradeep Kumar, a metro passenger said, “Those who are travelling beyond Mysuru Road are spending more time travelling. If BMRCL operates all the train to Kengeri it will benefit people instead of running every alternative train.”
The metro passengers have also demanded that the BMRCL open all the gates of metro stations. At many stations such as Majestic, Cubbon Park and others, some gates are closed for pedestrians. The officials have maintained this has been done to reduce expenses on security staff.
“At Cubbon Park station, a gate located near Chinnaswamy stadium is opened during a cricket match. The rest of the time, access is denied. As the ridership is increasing, there is a need to open all the gates for the benefit of the passengers,” said a passenger.
