JOIN USThe much-anticipated Metro rail project has faced hurdles from its inception since 2006 and nine years later, it is still crawling to finish its first phase.
Orphaned by the lack of a Metro shed, the southern stretch of the Metro, though complete in many respects, is hit particularly hard by the delay.
“The plan is to reach every corner of Bengaluru and be the favourable mode of transport,” says an engineer at a Metro construction site near Jayanagar.
But, on condition of anonymity, he says that the management is not taking keen interest in accelerating the project as it is more of a practical experiment for BMRCL. “Parking space at the stations was never planned in the initial design. Hopefully this will be given a thought soon,” he adds.
People prefer public transport as the city roads are swelling with infinite number of vehicles. Namma Metro is clearly going to be a winner in the public transport system. However, with the lack of parking space in the stations, it might just complicate things.
A graphic designer and a regular traveller on the road between Banashakari and Lalbagh, Srikant B regrets that there is no plan for parking in and around Metro stations. He says, “I think parking vehicles in and around a station is going to be a major issue for people who travel long distance. A large dedicated parking area in every station will be of great help.”
Jyothi Jagadeesh, a sales executive and resident of Jayanagar, finds the long distance between the planned Metro stations and bus stops tough to understand.
“My work profile is such that I have to travel all over the City. I was excited to use the Metro someday which would save a lot of travelling time. But the biggest disappointment is the lack of proximity between Metro stations and bus stops.”
Photographer and musician, Shreyas Akarshan, adds that traffic congestion is the biggest problem at these junctions. “Due to delay in the Metro rail work, there are a lot of traffic issues. Most of these roads have become narrow because of the construction. I find it hard to drive on these stretches during the peak hour traffic. I really hope they finish any one of the remaining phases by the end of this year.”
Shreyas N