3 Metro stations to get subways

Tenders called barely two months before opening line till Nagasandra

For almost a year, commuters on the Namma Metro Reach 3B Yeshwantpur stretch had no way to cross the hyper-busy Tumakuru Road (NH-4) to reach the Peenya and Peenya Industry stations from the other side.

Now, with barely two months to go for the entire line till Nagasandra to be operational, tenders have been called to build pedestrian subways across NH-4.

The subways are to be built near the elevated stations of Jalahalli, Dasarahalli and Naga­sandra at an estimated cost of Rs 9.61 crore.

Commuters would, however, have to wait longer for such a facility at the Peenya and Peenya Industry stations. Currently, there is no option for a skywalk due to the elevated highway. Once the Majestic interchange station opens, footfalls on this stretch are bound to rise exponentially.

Urban mobility experts feel such critical infrastructure should be incorporated in the Metro project right at the design stage. This could boost seamless inter-modal connectivity, commuter comfort and avoid cost escalations. Since the first phase is already heading for completion -- by the year-end, as the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) MD recently said --, the second phase stations could be planned and designed better, the experts say.

Indeed, the 6.5 km Baiyappanahalli to MG Road stretch is more commuter-friendly with escalators and steps available on either side of the road. The Swami Vivekananda, Indiranagar, Halasuru and Trinity stations had opened with these facilities, although the MG Road station had to wait till the Plaza concourse. Yet, the Baiyappanahalli terminal still has no skywalk or subway for commuters coming from KR Puram side on Old Madras road.

Inter-modal connectivity demands bus stops, autorickshaw stands in close proximity to Metro stations, and bridges linking Metro with railway stations. It requires close coordination between BMTC, BMRCL and South Western Railways.

BMTC buses heading to Yeshwantpur don’t halt at the Metro station. Passengers are forced to walk back nearly a kilometer from the main bus stand. “We are lucky if the conductor obliges a request stop,” lamented a frequent bus user, K Mallikarjun.

The Yeshwantpur railway - Metro link is also expected to materialise only after the opening of the entire stretch. The now complete bridge connecting Baiyappanahalli railway and Metro stations could be the way to go.