CAG flags poor planning, higher-than-expected costs in Bengaluru Metro
(File Photo)
Bengaluru’s Namma Metro suffered from poor planning, lower-than-expected passenger numbers, and rising costs, with a performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India finding that weak land assessment and delays pushed up expenses by over Rs 6,600 crore across Phases 1 and 2. The CAG report, tabled in Parliament, covers the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) from its inception through March 2021, with financial figures updated to March 2023. CAG reviewed the 117 project contracts worth Rs 27,472.85 crore — 89 per cent of the contract value — along with 75 operation and maintenance contracts worth Rs 348.12 crore.In its report, CAG highlighted that metro ridership fell well short of projections. Actual peak-hour ridership on Phase 1 in 2021 ranged between 6,429 and 8,852 — far below the 15,000 threshold that justified opting for a “Heavy Metro” system over a cheaper Bus Rapid Transit alternative, with no study conducted on how to improve ridership.
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