Students of Bengaluru have appealed to Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to introduce discounted passes for travel on the Namma Metro network. The students are also angry that the state government announced free bus passes for students, and they say they are not going to be able to travel on the bus lines, as students of KMC are not going to go to college.
The government’s decision to give free bus transportation to thousands of students to study will relieve the financial burden on the thousands of students who travel daily. But many students in Bengaluru feel that affordable metro travel should also be made part of the state’s journey to improve public transportation access.
And students have emphasised that they are not asking for completely free metro travel. They are seeking passes at concessional or discounted rates, which are similar to student travel benefits offered in other cities. A lower-fare metro pass would make commuting cheaper and encourage more public transport use, they said.
It also comes at a time when the number of commuters using Namma Metro is increasing. Due to traffic congestion on Bengaluru's roads, students are turning to metro services for their daily travel. Metro transport is faster, safer and more reliable than road-based transportation, especially in peak traffic hours.
Students have also cited the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to report the benefits of metro travel (e.g., less commuting stress and better physical and mental health). These benefits are also becoming more apparent to younger commuters, and more metro-based transport is becoming their default option.
Proponents of the proposal say the discounted student passes would have broader benefits beyond affordability. They think it will reduce the number of private vehicles on Bengaluru streets and reduce traffic congestion in one of India’s most crowded cities. More metro usage would also reduce air pollution and enhance air quality at the same time.
Students made their case to the government that affordable metro travel would induce an increase in sustainable public transport usage. Schools and colleges are located close to metro stations, and the system is a viable option for thousands of daily commuters, they said.
The request has attracted a lot of attention, and it has been made on the basis of the government's decision to give free bus passes to students. On the first day of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's office, he announced the initiative, and we are now preparing for the distribution of the student bus passes.
Now, students hope the government will give metro commuters special discounted passes for educational travel, too. They say that it would add to the free bus pass scheme and create a more integrated and student-friendly public transport system in Bengaluru.
Whether the Karnataka government and metro authorities will take the proposal into account is yet to be seen. For now, students in Bengaluru are waiting for a reply, and their hopes for affordable metro passes to be made available for those who must travel in Bengaluru are hopeful that metro passes will be made available early in the future to make travel easier, safer, and more affordable.
