In a unique protest, residents along Bannerghatta Road on Monday (September 28) symbolically “inaugurated” the Bengaluru Metro Pink Line by cutting a ribbon, demanding the early opening of the elevated section.

The protest came as the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) missed its September-end target for opening the 7.5-km elevated stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere. BMRCL is currently awaiting the necessary inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) before the section can be opened.

“We have been hearing about the opening date for months, but the deadline keeps getting pushed. We cut the ribbon symbolically to highlight the delay and the need to make the line operational at the earliest,” a local resident said.

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda inspected the corridor on September 2 and said the civil and elevated works were ready. He had earlier indicated that the stretch could open once the required approvals from the Centre were received.

The opening schedule has changed several times. Mr. Gowda had initially announced August 15, 2026, as the target for the elevated section and said the remaining underground section between Tavarekere and Nagawara was expected to be completed by March 2027.

The 21.3-km Pink Line comprises 7.5 km of elevated track and 13.8 km underground. The underground section will connect Dairy Circle, M.G. Road, Shivajinagar and Tannery Road, providing a north-south link through central Bengaluru.