Namma Metro commuters frustrated as Nagasandra-Madavara opening awaits inauguration despite safety clearance

BMRCL has held back on commercial operations awaiting a formal inauguration by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, who has yet to confirm his availability, according to officials.

The wait for commuters along the Tumakuru Road stretch, one of Bengaluru’s busiest routes, continues as the opening of the new Nagasandra-Madavara metro line extension remains stalled despite receiving safety clearance over 20 days ago. BMRCL has held back on commercial operations awaiting a formal inauguration by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, who has yet to confirm his availability, according to officials.

The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) approved the three-kilometre extension of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on October 4, following a statutory inspection. The new segment, which is part of the Green Line, will add three new stations — Manjunathnagar, Chikkabidarakallu, and Madavara — providing much-needed relief to thousands of commuters along Tumakuru Road, a critical route connecting Bengaluru with other parts of Karnataka.

The hold-up has drawn sharp criticism from residents and regular commuters, who argue that they are being made to suffer the consequences of protocol while a practical solution to their commuting woes stands unused.

“I can’t understand why the authorities won’t prioritise citizens over ceremony. Every day, we’re stuck in hours of traffic, and this past week with the rain, it’s been unbearable. If the metro had opened, it would have been so convenient for us. Yet, here we are, with the station right in front of us, locked up. It’s beyond frustrating,” said Datta Kumar, a resident of Nagasandra.

The BMRCL’s delay in opening the line has also sparked conversations about the priority given to ‘VVIP inaugurations’ over public convenience.

“We are literally held hostage to bureaucracy. There’s already a metro line, built and ready, that could cut my travel time by half. But instead, we’re left dealing with traffic jams because the government wants a grand inauguration. For the past five years, many commuters have been taking shared autos from Madavara to Nagasandra to catch a train. Now, with the extended metro ready but not opening, it’s making daily life miserable for all of us,” said Prashanth Rao, a bank employee who commutes via Tumakuru Road.

Sources say that BMRCL has written to the Urban Development Department, which in turn has approached the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to schedule Mr Khattar’s attendance for the launch.