Bengaluru Metro sees ridership and revenue surge despite free bus travel for women

Shankar AS, executive director (operations), BMRCL, told Moneycontrol, "The Shakti scheme hasn't impacted Bengaluru Metro's ridership. In fact, due to overcrowded buses, commuters might be shifting to the Metro, which is not only the most economical but also the most reliable mode of transportation in the city, offering air-conditioned comfort."

Also, read: Lok Sabha polls: Congress banks on Nari 'Shakti' in Karnataka

The Shakti scheme, launched on June 11, 2023, allows women domiciled in Karnataka to travel for free on non-AC buses operating within the state.

BMRCL records show monthly Metro boarding increased from 1.8 crore in May 2023 to 1.9 crore in August 2023, with further growth to 2.13 crore in December 2023. Revenue figures also surged, reaching Rs 50.04 crore in November 2023.

The commissioning of Bengaluru Metro’s entire 43-km Purple Line, connecting Whitefield in the east to Challaghatta in the west, has also contributed to this positive trend. The opening of 2.1 km Byappanahalli–KR Pura and 2.05 km Kengeri–Challaghatta sections on October 9, 2023 further increased the Metro's ridership.

Another reason could be that with free bus travel, many women find the first and last mile connectivity cheaper. In Bengaluru, there are no shared autorickshaws like in Delhi, so passengers have to shell out more for autorickshaw rides, with drivers either refusing to ply or demanding exorbitant fares.

Across the country, private firms have been urging their employees to work from the office, ending the work-from-home arrangements they facilitated during Covid-19. Additionally, the resumption of economic activities after Covid-19 has also triggered an increase in Metro ridership.

Also, read: Whitefield line boosts Bengaluru Metro's average daily ridership by 80K; cuts traffic congestion by 14%

Recently, construction major Larsen & Toubro hinted that they plan to sell their stake in Hyderabad Metro (India's first PPP Metro project) after the firm claimed that ridership has declined due to the Telangana government’s free bus ride scheme for women. L&T's CFO Shankar Raman told Business Today TV that the free bus scheme has made Metro ridership "less interesting," and they are looking to exit the project after 2026. He stated that Hyderabad Metro's ridership has fallen from 5.5 lakh a day in November 2023 to 4.6 lakh a day after the Telangana government launched the free bus ride scheme for women passengers on December 9, 2023. "Buses are being used by women who pay nothing, and the metro is used by men who pay Rs 35 on average per ticket," Raman said.

Also, read: L&T plans to exit Hyderabad Metro post 2026; what CFO said about Congress govt's free bus scheme

Hyderabad has a 67 km Metro network and three-coach trains as opposed to Bengaluru Metro’s 73 km network and six-coach trains.

Sources said that Bengaluru Metro’s daily ridership and revenue could have seen further growth if BMRCL had pressed additional trains into service.

BMRCL officials said that China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) will supply the prototype DTG train from China in August 2024. An official said that Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) will supply the remaining 20 DTG (Distance-To-Go) trains for the existing Purple and Green lines by November 2025.

Also, read: Titagarh to supply the first train for Bengaluru metro’s Electronics City corridor in August 2024

Meanwhile, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has also witnessed a surge in ridership, increasing from an average daily ridership of 27.71 lakh before the Shakti scheme to around 36-40 lakh, notwithstanding a reduction in the number of BMTC buses from 6,775 in 2013-2014 to 6,074 in 2023-2024. Notably, women passengers constitute around 60 percent of these riders.

Also, read: Reversing the trend: Bengaluru's BMTC regains ridership with free bus travel for women