Namma Metro ridership falls short of DPR targets: CAG

Bengaluru: Bengaluru’s Namma Metro continues to fall short of the daily ridership projected in its Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), with the gap persisting for the past five years, according to a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report. Transport experts have raised concerns over the delay in completing Phase 2 projects and the decision to open new routes in stages, questioning when the metro will achieve its projected passenger numbers.

During the recent Ganesh Chaturthi and Navaratri holidays, trains on all three operational corridors were packed with passengers. Heavy crowds are also common during peak hours on regular days. However, reports by the CAG and other organisations indicate that actual ridership remains below the projections made in the metro’s DPRs. The current average daily ridership stands at around 10.50 lakh passengers.

Once the Phase 2 projects are fully operational, daily ridership is expected to cross 15 lakh. However, commercial operations on the elevated section of the Pink Line have not yet received clearance, despite the completion of the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) inspection. Work on the Blue Line, which was scheduled for completion last year, is also continuing. Both projects are now expected to be opened in phases. Metro passenger associations believe this is affecting the achievement of the targeted ridership.

The government and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had expected daily ridership to rise to 12.5 lakh after the Yellow Line, connecting R.V. Road and Bommasandra, became operational. However, the highest recorded daily ridership so far was 11.45 lakh on September 9. The shortage of trains on the Yellow Line and inadequate last-mile connectivity for passengers across all three corridors are among the key reasons cited for ridership remaining below expectations.

Transport experts have suggested extending metro operating hours to cater to late-night and early-morning commuters. Namma Metro services currently stop at 11.30 pm, while metro systems in Delhi and some other cities begin operations in the early hours and gradually wind down after midnight. Adopting a similar schedule in Bengaluru would benefit late-night travellers, potentially increase ridership and boost revenue, experts say. They have also stressed the need to provide feeder bus services to improve connectivity to and from metro stations.

metro corridors in Bengaluru need to be planned to accommodate eight- or nine-coach trains, with station platforms built to match the longer train formations. Such measures, along with improved connectivity and extended operating hours, could help the metro accommodate more passengers as the network expands.

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