More diversions of bus routes ahead

While the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), which has lost land to Metro, has already begun shifting some of its operations from Bangalore’s main bus station, the BMRCL’s delay or lack of focus does not seem to help the area.

The Majestic station, part of the underground stretch of Metro, will be the interchange station for the east-west and north-south lines, and will be at the centre of Metro’s connectivity.

However, BMRCL spokesperson B L Y Chavan said: “...The contract for the station has not been awarded to anybody yet, as we are still in the process of project evaluation.”
Experts point out that this delay would prove critical.

Sources in the BMRCL said there was still some deliberation required in finalising the cost estimate for the station.

The tunneling work in the underground stretch has already commenced from the Vidhana Soudha and the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Helen and Margarita are expected to reach the Central College station in a few weeks’ time.

“The TBMs will reach the Chinnaswamy Stadium only by June-end next year, where they will be dismantled and moved back to the Majestic Station for tunnelling the short but critical 227-metre stretch,” a source said.

Until then, as admitted by the traffic police, Majestic will be the hub of traffic diversions.

“Although the TBMs have only a short distance to deal with, the process will be time-consuming, as the BMRCL will have to negotiate the active railway tracks,” informed sources said.

While stating that the decentralisation process of the KSRTC and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will provide some relief, experts said: “Metro construction activity is going to create huge blocks in the area for a long time.”

Speaking to Deccan Herald, M N Sreehari, advisor to the Government of Karnataka on Traffic and Infrastructure, said: “The area would face a major problem when the BMRCL begins transferring waste material.”

Pointing out that Metro will have to, on a daily basis, begin transferring the waste generated through tunnelling, Sreehari said: “There will be a lot of diversions when this process starts. The traffic police will be forced to block roads to facilitate transportation of this waste, which is not going to help in decongesting Majestic.”

However, this will be the price the area will have to pay in order to get the Metro services, which the BMRCL and experts alike are confident, will prove to be a game changer.

“Even in Delhi, the people had to face a lot of difficulties and traffic was thrown out of gear for months on the stretches where Metro work was going on. But now, there is great relief,” Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi had noted at the inauguration of Metro’s Reach-1.

Chavan, while admitting that the relief Metro can bring is a long way away, exuded confidence that the project will change the way people from many parts of the City travel to the City centre or Majestic.