BENGALURU: When free bus travel for women under the Shakti scheme was launched in mid-June, the assumption was that it would affect Metro rail ridership. But a perusal of data suggests a different viewpoint: The bus initiative has actually complemented rail patronage.
In May, on an average, around 5.6 lakh passengers were travelling in Namma Metro every day. After the introduction of Shakti scheme, the rideship reached 6.1 lakh per day, a jump of over 40,000 passengers. In July (till Friday), the daily ridership crossed the 6.1 lakh mark (it touched an all-time high of 6.7 lakh on July 15).
