Priyank Kharge hops on metro to attend tech event in Bengaluru, says ridership has jumped 100% in one week

IT/BT and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday commuted to the tech hub of Whitefield from Vidhana Soudha by the Namma Metro's Purple Line, which is also a lifeline for thousands of tech workers.

His commute comes a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate virtually the Challaghatta-Kengeri and Byappanahalli-Whitefield sections on the east-west corridor.

"Today, I opted for the Purple Line for my work commute and it was a great ride," Kharge posted on social media platform X. The minister visited Whitefield to participate and deliver a keynote address at the event, Unfold 2023, organised by CoinDCX, the platform promoting Web3 technologies.


The ride, the minister said, took about 30-40 minutes and he was back in office in time to attend the Cabinet meeting. "Additionally, a couple of wonderful conversations onboard helped. It's worth noting that the KR Puram to Whitefield section has witnessed a remarkable 100% increase in boarding since its launch last week," Kharge posted.

The metro authorities opened the entire 43-km stretch for operations on October 9, without waiting for a formal inauguration bowing under pressure from thousands of tech workers and others employed in the tech hubs of Mahadevapura and Whitefield. The 2.1-km Baiyappanahalli-KR Puram and 2.05-km Challaghatta-Kengeri sections had not been opened for weeks even after all safety approvals.

The two metro stretches were opened for the public to provide convenience to the public commuting on this corridor, without waiting for formal inauguration, a PMO press release on Wednesday said.

Earlier, with a missing link between Baiyappanahalli and KR Puram, commuters had to break their journey and take a bus ride to get back into the metro.

Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield has 14 stations, most of which are located around the tech corridors.