Viral Video Shows Bengaluru Metro's New Year Rush, Internet Worried

During New Year celebrations, Karnataka’s capital, Bengaluru, witnessed crowds flooding the city’s streets in large numbers. Amid this, a recently surfaced video shows a remarkable surge in ridership at Metro stations, peaking between 11 pm on December 31, 2023 and 1:30 am on January 1, 2024. Surprisingly, over 6 lakh passengers used the Metro services, which in turn generated revenue of over Rs 1 crore. To accommodate the festive rush, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had extended metro train services, so that people could travel in ease. However, as the viral video of overcrowded conditions inside the Metro stations and trains surfaced online, it sparked concern and outrage among social media users.

Before the celebrations began, BMRCL had announced a special fare, offering tickets at a discounted rate of Rs 50, along with an extension of operating hours until 2 am from the usual 11 pm schedule. Additionally, the metro officials had also advised commuters traveling from Whitefield to use Trinity Metro services and suggested passengers coming from Nagasandra or Silk Institute to consider Cubbon Park alternatives. These strategic measures were aimed at managing crowd flow and providing smoother travel experiences. Despite the extension, the viral video shared on X showed overcrowded stations. A user sharing the video wrote, “Bengaluru Metro’s ridership on Dec 31- Jan 1 (1:30am): 6.26 lakh. Revenue: Rs 1.64 Crore. Video from Trinity Metro station.”

Soon after the video was shared online, it quickly amassed over 3 lakh views, sparking intense discussions among social media users, as many urged for better provisions to manage and improve overcrowding issues, especially during peak hours.

A user felt anxiety seeing the crowd, suggesting people might not understand how to appreciate moments of peace.

Another individual highlighted the difficulty of experiencing pleasure when one can’t even breathe comfortably in such a congested environment.

A person felt fortunate that no stampede or serious incident happened.

An individual suggested that staying at home might be a safer and more enjoyable option to celebrate New Year.

One more expressed a need for more oxygen just to watch the video.

According to One India reports, to simplify the New Year’s festivities, all flyovers in Bengaluru, except for the International Airport Flyover, were closed from 11 pm on Sunday until 6 am on Monday. Just like every year, a large number of people gathered around prominent areas like MG Road, Brigade Road, Residency Road, St. Mark’s Road, Church Street, Koramangala and several other locations.