Improve road connectivity first, inter-modal next

Inter-modal connectivity has been extremely poor in Bengaluru. After years, the Railways and BMRCL have finally inked an agreement to ensure a critical pedestrian link between the Yeswanthpura rail and metro stations.

But elsewhere in the city, this area remains largely unaddressed. DH interacts with a cross-section of Bengalureans to understand what they think about this important mobility concern.

Alan Godfrey A, an Assistant Professor notes, “Residential areas have grown beyond the city's periphery but the bus facilities have been scarce or untimely. Metro services are not connected to all parts of the city. The proposed phase 2, 2A and 2B lines also have certain pitfalls as they do not have stations at all the important areas."

On one side, the city faces issues related to poor quality of roads. Potholes are aplenty and dust a big concern for motorists. But the lack of proper road connectivity and seamless inter-modal linkages make it even worse.

Multiple modes of public transport need to be made affordable to all. “Apart from the Metro that is yet to reach several areas, we need to think about the population that commutes by public transport. Close to two-fifths, including daily wage labourers and street vendors, take buses and they may not be able to afford Metro travel,” reminds Godfrey.

The solution would be to efficiently boost road connectivity and make travel affordable. “If the buses were timely and frequent, why would the commuters choose a private vehicle?" Godfrey asks.

Metro Stations and bus stops are often accessible only through roads that are in bad shape, and this makes seamless inter-modal connectivity tough. But in Covid times, not many are taking the Metro, preferring instead to use their personal vehicles. Dug-up roads hamper their mobility too.

Prathibha Shree, a Biomedical Engineer from Vijayanagar has this to say, "Luckily, we have the Metro connection in this area but the roads are in poor condition. As we can see, those who have private vehicles will not use the Metro due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation."

The priority, she feels, should be to first tackle the roads. “The BBMP should first see how to improve the condition of roads. The central parts of Bengaluru like M G Road, Brigade Road, Cunningham Road and the roads surrounding Vidhana Soudha are well-maintained, but in areas like Garvebhavi Palya or Bommanahalli, there is not even a footpath,” she explains.

Aiswarya C P, a Dietician at M S Ramaiah Hospital says, “Transportation in Bengaluru is difficult. For instance, I find it tough to travel from Mathikere to Electronic City. There is no option other than a bus, Uber or Ola. The bus takes a long time due to the traffic, while cabs are expensive.”

According to her, if Metro connectivity or suburban railway services are available everywhere, travelling from one end of the city to another can be reduced. It can get even easier with good inter-modal connectivity, she adds.

Switching from one mode to another should be smooth. But this is getting increasingly difficult. Take for instance, the often costly, time-consuming taxi ride to the Kempegowda International Airport from the city centre. A dedicated Airport train is still years away.

This is one reason why many people travelling to neighbouring States find the train more convenient than flights. Rajkrishnan Rajeev, a resident of Shantinagar says the city needs a better commute option to the airport. A railway halt station is ready to be launched but how far this will help air passengers remains to be seen.