1 week ago
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The Namma Metro Yellow Line is doing much than reducing question clip and easing postulation congestion, it is besides helping Bengaluru residents go much physically active, according to a caller survey by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
The study, titled ‘Assessing the Impact of Yellow Line Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) System connected Public Health and Quality of Life’, recovered that commuters who shifted from backstage vehicles to the metro gained an estimated 10 to 15 minutes of further mean carnal enactment during each commute time done walking to and from stations. This comes astatine a clip erstwhile carnal inactivity is simply a increasing nationalist wellness interest successful the city.
The researchers surveyed astir 600 commuters and households on the Yellow Line corridor, which has been operational since August 2025, and conducted follow-up interviews with 150 respondents six months aft metro operations began. The baseline survey revealed that much than 58% of respondents reported nary carnal enactment astatine all, with the highest inactivity levels recovered among young adults aged betwixt 18 and 29.
Incidental walking
The study noted that regular metro usage introduces “incidental walking” arsenic commuters entree stations, helping galore execute a information of the World Health Organisation’s recommended carnal enactment levels. The survey recovered that carnal enactment was a statistically important predictor of wellbeing, portion longer commute times negatively affected intelligence wellness and prime of life.
According to the study, a meaningful displacement distant from backstage vehicles, peculiarly two-wheelers and cabs, aft the Yellow Line became operational. Respondents reported shorter and much predictable question times, little fatigue levels and greater regular comfort. Several commuters said journeys that antecedently took up to 2 hours could present beryllium completed successful astir 30 minutes.
Beyond carnal health, the metro was recovered to connection important biology and intelligence wellness benefits. Metro users recorded the lowest vulnerability to aerial contamination among each transport modes studied, portion two-wheeler riders and pedestrians experienced the highest levels of particulate substance exposure. The study besides noted that metro commuters payment from air-conditioned question conditions, reducing vulnerability to utmost summertime heat.
The survey further recovered that question restitution and accessibility were among the strongest contributors to intelligence wellbeing, portion commute accent had a important antagonistic impact. Many respondents reported having much clip for family, leisure and idiosyncratic activities aft shifting to the metro, starring to improved work-life equilibrium and productivity.
Fare, entree issues deter commuters
However, the researchers warned that precocious fares, inadequate last-mile connectivity, insufficient parking facilities and mediocre pedestrian infrastructure astir respective stations stay barriers preventing wider metro adoption. The study recommended improvements successful feeder autobus services, footpaths, presumption accessibility and fare affordability to maximise the nationalist wellness benefits of the Yellow Line.
Ashish Verma, main investigator, IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab, said, “The survey connected the Yellow Line Metro Rail Corridor has the imaginable to service arsenic a benchmark for knowing however shared, electric, and progressive mobility modes lend not lone to sustainable proscription but besides to broader improvement goals specified arsenic liveability, nationalist health, wellbeing, and biology sustainability. The findings show the value of viewing nationalist transport investments arsenic captious interventions for improving aerial quality, wellness outcomes, and wide prime of life.”
Anupama Shetty, ngo director, Biocon Foundation, said, “This survey reinforces the broader worth of investing successful wide transit systems, not simply arsenic mobility solutions, but arsenic almighty enablers of nationalist health, biology sustainability, and improved prime of life.”
