President Pranab Mukherjee launched the Bengaluru Metro on Saturday. Bengaluru city has now become the second after Delhi to have a metro network running across the city.
The 42.3-km-long metro project was started in 2008. The project has been completed at the built cost of Rs. 13,845 crore, of which Rs. 300 crore was raised by floating bonds.
President on the inauguration said, “The rapid economic growth of Bengaluru has brought prosperity to the state, but increasing congestion on roads, worsening air quality and related time and health issues were making the city economically inefficient”. He also added that the metro network will reduce the traffic congestion and be able to carry more than 15 lakh passengers per day.
While Chief Minister on the event said, “The every-increasing demand for a better quality transport in addition to the bus services across the city necessitated a metro rail system for the city”. He also appreciated the people of Bengaluru and said: “Credit should also go to the people of Bengaluru, who have cooperated and endured discomfort during the construction of the metro project, which has reduced the travel time on both the lines to less than half as compared to other modes of transport”.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has 8.8 km underground stretch on both the corridors while 33.5 km is over the ground. The service on the route will run 4 km underground from Sampige Road station to National College via the Majestic terminal and cover the Green Line in 45 minutes, with the 30-second halt at each of the 24 stations en-route.
Besides Governor Vajubhai Vala demanded the Central government to bear 100 per cent burden of the metro projects in all the metropolitan cities.