Pink Line’s first 7.5km may help local trips, not Bannerghatta Road traffic

The first 7.5km of the Pink Line, from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere along Bannerghatta Road, is likely to begin operations in September or October after BMRCL completed civil works and trial runs.

For Hulimavu resident Ananth S., the missing connection beyond the elevated stretch is the problem. Many commuters are headed for the central business district, he said, and would still need to change to a bus or autorickshaw after leaving the Metro. “It’s just shifting the bottleneck from one junction to another,” he said.

The line passes IIMB, Hulimavu, Jayadeva Hospital, educational institutions and IT parks, offering a new option for nearby trips. But Meera K., who travels from Arekere to Shivajinagar on a 368-series BMTC bus, said she would continue using her current route rather than make an extra transfer.

Transport expert M.N. Srihari said the corridor’s main value lies in continuous north-south travel through major interchange points. The remaining 13.76km of the Pink Line, from Dairy Circle to Nagawara, is underground. GTK’s earlier look at access along the first stretch found similar concerns for Bannerghatta Road commuters.