City mobility scheme gets Rs 50 cr, that’s all

Rs 50 crore towards ‘Bengaluru Mobility Scheme’ plans to integrate metro with BMTC and develop multi-modal transit hubs at six places stand out as major allocations for the city.

The government reiterates its commitment to the suburban rail project, which is unlikely to take off till the Union Cabinet clears the proposal, and incorporates several pending works of BMRCL to the list of new schemes. The budget only spells out the name of the special purpose vehicle that will implement the suburban rail project: Bengaluru Rail Infrastructure Development Entity (B-RIDE).

The grant of Rs 50 crore will be utilised for implementing ‘comprehensive mobility scheme’ and to give priority for public transport, grant to BMTC and development of at least 50-km pedestrian roads. This stands in stark contrast to Rs 1,000 crore allocated for the elevated corridor, a project opposed by citizens and experts alike.

The budget incorporates work on integrating metro and BMTC at Yeshwantpur, Banashankari, Vijayanagar, Peenya, etc. It reiterates support to the BMRCL to build the Silk Board-KR Puram-Airport line for Rs 16,579 crore. But no allocation has been made.

Similar is the reiteration to construct an additional station at Challaghatta by extending the Kengeri Metro line in Phase 2. Long-pending works, including skywalk at Yeshwantpur metro station, common mobility card, conversion of three-car metro trains and feeder services, have been listed as new schemes.

The government will take up studies to check the feasibility of multi-modal transit hubs at Hebbal, Byappannahalli, KR Puram, Kadugodi, Challaghatta and Peenya. Two announcements from previous budgets, the Bangalore Urban Land Transport Authority and Road Safety Authority, are yet to become reality. The government would do well to deliver at least what was promised earlier.