Bangalore:
Call it love at first sight, Namma Metro has literally become Namma (Our) 'beloved' Metro barely three days after it first snaked its way through the heart of the city and become the 'darling' mode of transport for over 1 crore Bangaloreans.
Brigade Road and Commercial Street, which were the most happening places of the city till the mass transit system came into being, now wear a deserted-look as thousands are thronging the Metro stations.
According to Metro officials, over 1 crore commuters have used the Metro services in the past three days. Witnessing an overwhelming response yesterday, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has decided to run trains till 11.30 pm.
According to BMRCL officials, they had earned more than Rs 4 lakh in revenue till yesterday afternoon.
"The response is overwhelming. We ferried more than 75,000 people on Saturday.
The rush today is as anticipated and we have increased the number of trips from MG Road to Byappanahalli to 100 for the convenience of commuters.
The trains will be operating till 11.30 in the night," said B L Y Chavan, spokesperson, BMRCL. Serpentine queues were seen at the MG Road Metro station from 10 am onwards. People thronged the station along with their family members to enjoy the weekend.
Curious commuters were seen standing in queues since the morning. Entire families had turned up to enjoy a Metro ride and have a picnic of sorts.
"It being Sunday, I just thought it would be nice to experience a Metro ride. I am having a fun time with my family and we will be going all the way to Byappanahalli and ride back to MG Road," said Jayanth Natarajan, who came with his kids and wife all the way from Rajajinagar.