Bengaluru, 15 Aug

Namma Metro recorded its highest-ever daily passenger footfall of 9,17,365 on Independence Day eve. The Purple Line, connecting Challaghatta to Kadugodi, carried the maximum load of 4.43 lakh commuters, while the Green Line, running from Silk Institute to Nagasandra, ferried 3.01 lakh passengers. The Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Interchange Station at Majestic, the city’s central hub, recorded a footfall of 1.72 lakh.

A senior BMRCL official attributed the record-breaking ridership to the long weekend and the Independence Day flower show at Lalbagh, which drew massive crowds. The previous highest ridership for the Bengaluru Metro was recorded on 6 August, at 8.65 lakh passengers.

While the Metro enjoyed a bumper day, the City’s roads bore the brunt of the long weekend exodus. Traffic police had advised companies along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to implement work-from-home on Independence Day to ease congestion but this resulted in heavy traffic on Tumakuru Road, Mysuru Road, and Hosur Road as many residents left the City for the long weekend. Salar News