Bengaluru: Pollution levels in Bengaluru have witnessed a significant increase following the fare hike for Namma Metro on February 9, with a noticeable shift in travel patterns as commuters turn to road transport options.
Data from the National Air Quality Monitoring Centre reveals a rise in air pollution, coinciding with a drop in metro ridership, a trend also highlighted in ongoing research at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), as reported by Deccan Herald on Wednesday.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has confirmed about a 10.5 percent dip in daily ridership since the fare increase. Yashvanth Chavan, official spokesperson, acknowledged the decline, adding that the corporation is still evaluating the full impact.
Commuters like Sathyanarayan M, a content developer, have shifted away from the metro due to the rising cost of travel. “The fare from Yelachenahalli to MG Road has doubled to Rs 66, making it too expensive. I now prefer using my Bullet motorcycle which requires 1 litre of petrol but is still cheaper and convenient,” he told the news outlet.
Research from the IISc’s Sustainable Transportation Lab, led by Professor Ashish Verma, indicates that many former metro riders are now opting for city buses, two-wheelers, and cars. “We will be able to put a number on these changes within the next two days. Empirically, the AQI data suggests the hypothesis that it is correlated to people moving away from Namma Metro to road transport,” he said.
Air quality data recorded during peak hours (10:00 AM and 6:00 PM) before and after the fare hike shows a marked increase in pollutants, added DH. On February 10, the first Monday after the fare hike, the average PM 2.5 levels in the Jayanagar 5th Block area surged to 112-114 microgram/cubic metre compared to 43-54 microgram/cubic metre before the hike.
A senior official noted that traffic congestion and construction dust were major contributors to the rising pollution levels. He said that vehicle movement stirs up dust, exacerbating the pollution problem, adding that this highlights the need to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and shift to public transport.
