Bengaluru: With the novelty of the Green line on the Phase 1 of Namma Metro wearing off, more people using it for their daily commute than joy rides. However, poor last mile connectivity at most stations continues to be a worry.
The patronage on Green Line continues to be low when compared with Purple Line (which has fewer number of stations).
“The patronage on Green Line is stabilizing and passenger numbers are coming down. A major reason is last mile connectivity issues. This would be the ideal time to work on planning bus shuttles and taking up commuter surveys,” said Srinidhi, member of Praaja RAAG advocacy group.
As per July 8 official statistics 1.5 lakh commuters travelled in the Green Line, which has 23 stations, while and 1.6 lakh took the Purple Line (17 stations). Even on July 3, the Nagasandra to Yelachenahalli stretch covering 24.2 km saw only 1.2 lakh passengers as opposed to 1.8 lakh passengers on the 18.1 km Nayandanahalli-Baiyappanahalli stretch.
The recently opened stations are not attracting many commuters. Srinidhi believes another factor could be the lack of sufficient advertising and details.
“When Reach 1 was started there was mention of ticket prices, varshik pass, in the media and on their websites. These details were missing when Phase-1 was inaugurated. Highlighting benefits of quick travel time, safety, accessibility to elderly, disabled, park and ride options must be promoted offline for non-internet users,” Srinidhi opined.
When asked about BMRCL's plan to increase footfalls, Managing Direction Pradeep Singh Kharola said, "The improvement is happening. I would say our first priority at the moment is last mile connectivity. By engaging in Station Access Mobility Programme we are looking at bicycle sharing options and with BMTC we are working on feeder services.”
By doing all this, the ridership will increase and make travel more convenient for metro passengers, he added.
4 startups chosen
The Station Access Mobility Programme (STAMP), a brainchild of Toyota Mobility Foundation and World Resources Institute was started with the aim to bridge metro's last mile connectivity.
Now 13 out of 85 ideas were selected for the boot camp last week, following which four start-up ideas won the challenge.
“Each start up idea gets Rs 8-10 lakh out of Rs 40 lakh grant to pilot their idea. They are working in tandem with BMRCL, BMTC and other Government officials," said Pawan Mulukutla, Head of Integrated Transport, WRI.
A 15 per cent hike in ridership is expected after successful implementation of these four projects.
They are Quick Ride that involves carpooling, Metro Bikes that involves rental scooters and bikes, Tap Route that aggregates vehicles via an app and Constapark that send updates to user's phones on nearby parking lots.
