Data Shows Metro Projects Have Reduced Traffic On Hyderabad And Bengaluru Roads, But Not As Much As Hoped For

An analysis of traffic data using Uber Movement has shown that Metro projects in Hyderabad and Bengaluru have indeed reduced the amount of traffic on the cities’ roads, but the extent to which traffic has come down is contingent on the availability of feeder services and last-mile connectivity.

An analysis by Mint shows that road traffic has reduced in areas where the two lines of Bengaluru’s Namma Metro – the Green line connecting Yelachenalli in the south and Nagasandra in the north and the Purple line connecting Mysore Road in the west and Byapanahalli in the east – has come down significantly. A similar study had been conducted in 2002 shortly after the Delhi Metro commenced operations that was published in the World Bank Economic Review.

While the data shows the change along the metro corridors, there is little clarity on the extent to which the Metro can help, given that the Information Technology (IT) capital of India is radial in nature.

In the case of Hyderabad, while traffic has reduced marginally, the full picture would be known only after the entire system is thrown open. Both cities however face similar problems with Metro systems connecting high-density areas such as Hitec City in Hyderabad and Electronics City in Bengaluru – where a major concentration of IT firms are located – remaining to be connected to the Metro network.

According to Uber Movement – that shows anonymised data on its rides – figures show that routes such as the J P Nagar - Malleshwaram sector along the Green line in Bengaluru saw a 9 per cent reduction in road traffic. The average travel time was nearly 53 minutes prior to the Metro line’s commissioning which came down to 51 in the three months following the opening. Six months after the line opened, the travel time came down to 48 minutes. In the case of the Vijaynagar to Inidiranagar stretch on the Purple line, travel time decreased from 55 minutes to 53 minutes and 51 minutes at the same time intervals.

Hyderabad meanwhile saw travel time from Miyarpur to Ameerpet go from 34 minutes to 32 minutes while the commute from Nagole to Ameerpet went down from 42 to 40 minutes.

In all the cases, the commissioning of the Metro has seen road traffic dip significantly resulting in the average journey time (by road) go down by at least two minutes.

The lack of significant change can be attributed to several reasons.

Feeder services to the Metro as well improper last-mile connectivity to and from stations still need to be worked at. Trains in Bengaluru still have three coaches when the passenger rush demands a longer train.

Also Read: Urban Connectivity Chaos: People Managing Metro, Railway, Bus Stations Are Working In Silos