BENGALURU: After resisting the temptation to plaster the exterior of its rolling stock with advertisements for more than a decade, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Friday unveiled a train swaddled with photographs and slogans highlighting the freedom struggle as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark 75 years of Independence.
BMRCL managing director Anjum Parwez flagged off the Purple Line train from Majestic Metro Station at 10.15am. The corporation spent around Rs 8.5 lakh on the wrapping exercise, which was completed in 10 days.
At present, BMRCL operates 50 trains on Purple and Green lines. However, it doesn’t plan to wrap their exterior with ads to generate non-fare box revenue as it fears aesthetics will be affected. “We don’t have any plan to wrap trains with ads, but did it for a national cause. We are operating 50 trains but only one is fully wrapped. The firm which executed this in Delhi Metro has done it here too. Only the bottom portions of another six trains will be wrapped so that the windows are not covered,” Parwez said.
He said it is important to celebrate 75 years of Independence of the country, which has a vibrant democracy and culture. “This will also create awareness among the public,” he added.
While Metro corporations in Delhi, Chennai, Kochi and Nagpur have been covering trains with ads, BMRCL, which is operational since 2011, has resisted the move citing aesthetical reasons. In 2014, Delhi Metro rolled out its first fully ad-wrapped train.
In fact, Namma Metro’s financial loss increased from Rs 598.5 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 904.8 crore in 2020-21. Non-fare box revenue reduced from Rs 14.4 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 8.4 crore in 2020-2021. A recent report by International Association of Public Transport, an NGO, had said Bangalore Metro’s non-fare box revenue such as rent and advertisements forms only 9% of the total — the lowest among Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.
Parwez said daily ridership is around 3.5 lakh now and will cross 4-4.5 lakh once more IT offices open up.
