Bengalurians mill metro stations for their first ride to Mysore road

Bengaluru, April 30: A day after underground metro section from Cubbon Park to City Railway Station was inaugurated, the metro stations from Baiyappanahalli to MG Road were crowded even at 6:30 am in the morning.

Very unlike a usual day in the city, which witnesses deserted metro stations early in the morning. Certainly, it was a big day after the major event. The city got its first stretch of underground metro track, and marked its name for being the first in South India to have an underground metro line.

Enthusiasm in the air

An early morning ride in the metro on the purple line showed how enthusiastic the people of Bengaluru were to explore their new transport extention. A crowd puller in a way, the metro may have outdone its own targets in terms of revenues today.

"Sky is the limit for Bengaluru. This is just the beginnig, just wait and watch where Bengaluru heads to," sermoned a senior citizen.

As a couple entered in their jogging suits, it was evident that they are in for their first ride to Mysore road. When LMVs form 20.5% of the total vehicles on the road, one can imagine how the metro stretch will reduce the same and help in reducing the air pollution.

Some of the passengers opted to start their day in Cubbon Park instead of the local jogging track. On asking why they decided to do so, the man said "because I have never seen the metro layout following MG road. It would be fun taking a ride into the new stretch."

Some people, however, just wanted to explore and enjoy the ride early in the morning.

"The morning sun is beautiful in Bengaluru and we have come to enjoy that. We thought it best to have a ride together," said a romantic couple.

Another gentleman spoke about the environmental affects caused by cars and 2-wheeler . "Imagine, Bengaluru roads have 38,41,139 two-wheelers and 11,41,455 cars at any point of the day. People have no choices because Bengaluru is spread across a huge area and there are hardly any direct communication systems here. With this phase of metro, most of the people can now commute to the nearest stoppage to their workplace and then take and auto and bus," said a gentlemen.

However, not everyone is happy. The auto drivers can already feel the brunt. "I understand that this is good for the state, but we are in a mess. We will now have to look for another place to ply our autos. Nobody will take a ride to the areas covered by the Phase-I."

The first 6.7-kilometre (4.2 mi), 6-station stretch (Reach 1) of the Purple Line between Baiyappanahalli and Mahatma Gandhi Road opened on 20 October 2011. The second 6.4-kilometre , 6-station stretch of the Purple Line between Mysore Road and Magadi Road opened on 16 November 2015. The first underground section of South India, a 4.8 km stretch from Cubbon Park to Bangalore City Railway Station opened yesterday, thereby completing the entire 18.22 km Purple Line stretch of the metro network.