Friday, November 18, 2011

Meeting the Metro

I had just got back from my holiday in Dubai. I spent some quality time with my loved ones and soon they all diffused into memories, as I dived into a sea of assignments. However, an unexpected long weekend gave me the opportunity to ride on Bangalore's newest mode of transport, the Metro; or as it is locally known as, Namma Metro


For illustration purpose only
Photographer: Senashia Ekanayake
Having ridden on the Metro in Dubai, I did not have high expectations of Namma Metro. I was ready to compare the two. 


Between the two, I preferred the Metro Stations in Dubai. I am no architect, but the stations in Dubai were more  artistically designed, therefore more appealing to the viewer's eye. The Metro Station in Bangalore was very plain and boring, but much more spacious than the one in Dubai. This may be for the accommodation of a large crowd as Bangalore is more populated than Dubai.


The train in Bangalore was similar to that of the one in Dubai. However, personally, I thought that the train in Bangalore was far more informative and convenient in terms of accommodating a large group of people. 


The prices of the tickets, in both Dubai and Bangalore, were relatively affordable considering the value of the currency of each place respectively and the distance covered. The Metro in Dubai issues small cards, the size of a standard business card. These cards are disposable once completely used. The Metro in Bangalore issues tokens, which are a little larger than a coin. These tokens are reusable, therefore saving paper and reducing the chances of littering at the Stations. However, the tokens are small enough to easily displace.


My journey on Bangalore's Metro was from Mahatma Gandhi Road, popularly known as MG Road, to Indira Nagar and back. A one way journey took me approximately 10 minutes, whereas by auto, the same distance would have taken me much longer and cost me probably 5 times more. 


To sum up the whole journey, it was unique and quite nice, for the simple reason that it was a different experience to have traveled a fairly long distance so quickly, with no noise, no disruptions and no pollution. We may be frustrated with the construction of the Metro right now, but once it is fully constructed and starts functioning at a regular pace, we will appreciate it's existence. 


© Anupama Subramaniyam