BMRCL plans business hub at Metro station

Paid parking lot at Swami Vivekananda station closed down

After failing to elicit good response for the paid parking lot at the Swami Vivekananda Station, the BMRCL now wants to develop the two-acre land into a commercial hub with a provision for parking vehicles for Metro commuters.

BMRCL officials said that the contract for the paid parking lot expired about two months ago and it had not been renewed since the contractor failed to make money from the venture. Now, the Corporation has written to the Bangalore Development Authority seeking change of land use of the parking lot land. After receiving permission, fresh tenders would be called for developing the plot into a commercial hub with a clause that proper parking lot would be provided for the metro commuters.

Most of the metro stations do not have parking facility and Swami Vivekananda station was one of the metro stations with the facility. However, the parking lot is now in a shambles and the vehicles are being parked without any security.

The closure of another entry to the metro station on the C V Raman Hospital Road has also added to the woes of commuters. Earlier, the vehicles coming from the 80 feet road ( C V Raman Hospital Road ) would conveniently enter the station from this gate. With the closure of this gate, the commuters have to cross the traffic signal to park their vehicles at the metro station. What is worse is that on taking out the vehicle, one has to either take a detour and go all the way to CMH Road to come back to 80 feet road or take a U-turn on the busy Old Madras Road in the middle of the heavy traffic.

The regulars at the station lament that even though the parking lot was not in a very good shape, it somehow served the purpose. With paid parking system in place, the commuters could proceed to their workplaces without having to worry about the safety of their vehicles. The parking lot was set up in 2012 and the pay-to-use space was being managed by Central Parking Services since then.