Now Reading: CAG blames Bengaluru Metro miss on failed bus, road links
-
01
CAG blames Bengaluru Metro miss on failed bus, road links
A Comptroller and Auditor General report tabled in Parliament on Monday says Bengaluru Metro did not hit projected ridership because it was never integrated with the city bus operator BMTC. Against a…
The Story in Brief
A Comptroller and Auditor General report tabled in Parliament on Monday says Bengaluru Metro did not hit projected ridership because it was never integrated with the city bus operator BMTC. Against a target of 19.49 lakh daily riders, the highest average was just 5.89 lakh in August 2022. BMTC’s own daily footfall fell from 51.30 lakh in 2014-15 to 27.49 lakh in 2022-23, and the combined Metro-plus-bus count stayed below the old bus-only number, meaning the Metro failed to pull private vehicle users.
Separately, BMRCL is likely to drop plans for a 37 km double-decker flyover along the Orange Line and may build only 11 km of shorter stretches at key junctions. Engineering consultancy RITES warned that extra road capacity could encourage more private vehicles, defeating the Metro's purpose. The double-decker option also reduces the economic rate of return below the 14% benchmark, down from 17% for a Metro-only project.
The Indian Opinion
The CAG report shows that building a Metro without fixing last-mile connectivity is a waste of public money. Meanwhile, the push for a long double-decker flyover, driven by the state government, risks encouraging more cars, exactly the opposite of what should happen. The real test will be whether BMRCL and BMTC finally integrate ticketing, schedules, and feeder routes, or simply build more concrete without a plan.
Sources (2): deccanherald.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
