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; This year will be remembered as a year in which some long-awaited promises were finally fulfilled, leaving commuters facing new challenges. From the long-awaited opening of the Namma Metro’s Yellow Line to the renewed momentum of the suburban rail project and from improved KSRTC airport bus services to increases in auto fares and controversial bike taxi bans, the city’s mobility has seen both relief and resistance.

Yellow Line finally enters service

The biggest turning point for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters came on August 10, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 19.15-kilometre Namma Metro Yellow Line connecting RV Road to Bommasandra. The vital corridor to connect South Bengaluru to the Electronics City has ended years of expectation and disappointment.

The Yellow Line has been beset by repeated delays since construction began in 2017. The project, which was initially scheduled to be completed in December 2021 as per the 2011 Detailed Project Report prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, has faced various hurdles, from land acquisition issues and the COVID-19 pandemic to delays in the supply of rolling stock by Chinese manufacturer CRRC Nanjing.

Despite opening with limited train services and longer distances, 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-Electronic City corridor. But as the months progressed, passengers continued to complain about overcrowding, limited train availability and poor frequency.

Commuter rail hires full-time MD

Another project that achieved a significant return in 2025 was the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project, which has long been criticized for its slow progress. Years of delays due to 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 on key corridors such as Mallige and Kanaka and withdrew from contracts due to delays in land transfer, forcing authorities to re-tender the projects. The absence of a full-time MD at Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Ltd. (K-RIDE) further slowed down the decision-making process.

This changed on December 1 when Lakshman Singh took over as full-time MD of K-RIDE. His appointment is seen as a reset moment, with the hope that a full-time MD will help clear administrative hurdles and expedite the on-site execution of the delayed project.

Not all developments were welcomed by passengers. One of the biggest shocks came with the autorickshaw fare revision that came into force on August 1. While the minimum fare for the first 2 km has been increased from ₹30 to ₹36, beyond that the fare per km has increased from ₹15 to ₹18. The hike has sparked mixed reactions, with drivers reporting increased costs and passengers reporting increased daily expenses.

Another contentious decision was the State government’s ban on bike taxis in June 2025. The government’s move, citing safety concerns, lack of insurance coverage and Motor Vehicles Act violations, has disrupted a popular last-mile option for many urban commuters.