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The city's buzzing social media landscape is at the centre of a heated debate, as citizens clash over the direction of Bengaluru’s next big mobility investment: a massive underground tunnel network for cars or the continued expansion of the Namma Metro and suburban rail for public transit.
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The controversy stems from the proposed Rs 19,000-crore underground tunnel road project, which plans to link Hebbal and Silk Board through a high-speed corridor exclusively for private vehicles. Meant to reduce surface traffic, the project has drawn widespread criticism for catering to a small, car-owning population, especially at a time when public transport systems remain incomplete and overburdened.
Know this Bengaluru.
City can neither afford nor does it makes sense to build both metro and Tunnel Rd on same corridor.
Metro serves all. Tunnel Rd? Cars only.
Great cities have great metros and aren't 🚗 dependent.
🛑 the Tunnel Road🙏🏼
Complete metro & suburban rail first pic.twitter.com/rk2sF1kpos
— Satya (@solidview)
Know this Bengaluru.
City can neither afford nor does it makes sense to build both metro and Tunnel Rd on same corridor.
Metro serves all. Tunnel Rd? Cars only.
Great cities have great metros and aren't 🚗 dependent.
🛑 the Tunnel Road🙏🏼
Complete metro & suburban rail first pic.twitter.com/rk2sF1kpos— Satya (@solidview) July 4, 2025
">July 4, 2025
In contrast, Bengaluru’s expanding Namma Metro network, along with the long-delayed suburban rail, is being championed by many urban planners and residents as the more sustainable and inclusive path forward. For a city grappling daily with clogged roads and worsening pollution, voices are rising online, urging the government to prioritise mass transit that serves the broader public.
The debate gained traction after a viral post highlighted a major concern, both the Metro and Tunnel Road projects run along similar corridors. “Great cities aren't car dependent. Metro serves all; Tunnel Road only serves cars. Bengaluru should choose wisely,” the post read. The message resonated widely, garnering 17,000 views and hundreds of responses.
While many users echoed the sentiment, stating that “mass transit is the need of the hour,” and “suburban rail should’ve been done yesterday,” a small number of users defended the tunnel concept. Some even proposed hybrid infrastructure, having a Metro above and tunnel below, though experts warn such overlapping investments could be wasteful and technically complicated.
