Much-awaited Yellow Line opens; auto fare hike, bike taxi ban add to commuter burden

The year 2025 will be remembered as a defining phase for Bengaluru’s mobility sector, a year that finally delivered on some long-pending promises while confronting commuters with new challenges. From the long-awaited opening of the Yellow Line of Namma Metro to renewed momentum for the suburban rail project, and from improved KSRTC airport bus services to auto fare hikes and bike taxi bans that sparked debate, the city’s mobility saw both relief and resistance. Yellow Line finally rolls out For lakhs of daily commuters, the biggest milestone came on August 10, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 19.15-km Yellow Line of Namma Metro, connecting R.V. Road to Bommasandra. The corridor, crucial for linking south Bengaluru with Electronics City, ended years of anticipation and frustration. The Yellow Line had been beset by repeated delays since construction began in 2017. Originally planned for completion by December 2021 based on the 2011 Detailed Project Report prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the project ran into hurdles ranging from land acquisition issues and the COVID-19 pandemic to delays in rolling stock supply from Chinese manufacturer CRRC Nanjing. Despite opening with limited train services and longer headways, the response was overwhelming. The line recorded a staggering ridership of 10.48 lakh passengers on its first day, underlining the demand for a reliable metro network along the congested Silk Board-Electronics City corridor. However, as the months progressed, commuters continued to flag overcrowding, limited train availability and poor frequency. Suburban rail gets full time MD Another project that saw a crucial turnaround in 2025 was the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project, long criticised for sluggish progress. Years of delays stemming from land acquisition bottlenecks, lack of coordination between State and Central agencies, and leadership gaps had left the project in limbo. A major setback occurred when Larsen & Toubro suspended work and exited contracts for key corridors such as Mallige and Kanaka due to delays in land handover, forcing the authorities to re-tender projects. The absence of a full-time MD at Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Ltd. (K-RIDE) further slowed decision-making. That changed on December 1, when Lakshman Singh assumed charge as the full-time MD of K-RIDE. His appointment is being seen as a reset moment, with hopes that a full-time MD will help unclog administrative hurdles and accelerate on-ground execution of the delayed project. Not all developments were welcomed by commuters. One of the biggest jolts came with the autorickshaw fare revision that took effect on August 1. The minimum fare for the first 2 km was increased from ₹30 to ₹36, while the per-km rate beyond that rose from ₹15 to ₹18. The hike drew mixed reactions, with drivers citing rising costs and commuters lamenting higher daily expenses. Another contentious decision was the State government’s ban on bike taxis in June 2025. Citing safety concerns, lack of insurance cover and violations of the Motor Vehicles Act, the government’s move disrupted a popular last-mile option for many city commuters. Published - December 24, 2025 09:24 pm...

Preview: ~500 words