Metro chief flooded with queries, suggestions

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) Managing Director P S Kharola on Thursday had to face a volley of questions on Namma Metro from the public during an interaction on ‘Smart City Travel’ organised by Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD).

While most of the questions pertained to the bad shape of roads across the City due to Namma Metro work in progress, a lot of questions were also asked on the viability and the usage of the trains.

Answering a query on the growing transport needs of commuters in the City, Kharola said all the Metro stations are made keeping in mind the needs of the projected population in 2050.

“As of now, the trains are running at one tenth of their actual capacity and once the entire phase I is commercially operated, we will get to know the actual usage of the trains.” 

Several questions also pertained to the most prominent issue, last mile connectivity and integration of the Namma Metro trains with the BMTC bus services so that commuters can have seamless travel.

Kharola said integration happens at many levels and the most basic is to have a common ticket or a smart card, for which tenders have already been called by BMRCL and BMTC is in the process of doing so.

He accepted the suggestion by a senior citizen that the information system of Metro feeder buses by BMTC should be strengthened and that there should be information boards in all Metro stations informing the commuters about the feeder bus timings and its frequency and routes.

He also appreciated suggestion by another senior citizen that the medians between the pillars along the Metro lines should not be fixed so that in case of any untoward incident, at least emergency vehicles can pass through.