Speaking at a round table conference organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce on connectivity to the airport, BIAL CEO Albert Brunner said the airport promoters were being blamed for “being on time.”

Speaking on work on the trumpet interchange on NH 7 near the airport, Brunner said BIAL had to take up the work because the contractor nominated by the National Highways Authority of India — the original builders of the interchange — “had not even built a bridge”. “We had commissioned L&T for work on the interchange, but it had to be stopped because NHAI has come up with a plan to make NH 7 an eight-lane highway,” Brunner told reporters.

V P Baligar, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure Development Department, said the issue would be “sorted out” soon. “If the NH expansion plan involves more land acquisition, it will take another three years to materialise,” Baligar said.

He said the State had last week managed to clear the litigation tangle on one of the three Rail Over Bridges in the interchange.

HAL Airport
Brunner said keeping the HAL Airport alive as a transition buffer would lead to legal issues involving concessionaires and added that two airports would “confuse” the airlines and also lead to stunted growth.
Reacting to a suggestion to retain the HAL Airport as a satellite check-in terminal for bus services to the new airport, Brunner said the facility should also be complemented by fast on-road connectivity.

Unfair taxi rates
The BIAL CEO addressed concerns over potentially unfair taxi rates to and from the airport saying the BIAL would ensure the concessionaires followed quality and pricing standards. All through the conference, delegates pointed out that distance to the new airport and infrastructure pitfalls, including the largely unlit NH 7 (Bellary Road), were issues that required immediate redressal.

BMTC:
* 40 low-floor Volvos with 33-passenger (with baggage) capacity each
* 24/7 services; bus ramps for wheelchair access 
* Check-ins at Shantinagar, HSR Layout depots mooted

Railways/PWD:
* 33.5-km elevated rail link
*State Highway (Special) from ORR
* Development of 46 roads at Rs 1,000 crore BBMP

BBMP:
* Widening roads between Vidhana Soudha and Hebbal
* 7.5-m service roads between Hebbal flyover and
Sanjaynagar Cross
* Readymade underpasses at choke points