Waiting for Metro...

Bangaloreans have diverse views about the benefits of Metro Rail

The construction of the Metro has caused accidents, endless traffic jams and overturned the City’s landscape. While a lot of people say that it’s all happening for good, some others feel that what has been lost in the process is the City's old world charm, something that can never be regained.
 Metrolife spoke to a cross-section of Bangaloreans to measure their level of excitement and anxiety about the Metro Rail. 

Twenty nine-year-old Praveen Nair, an IT consultant thinks Metro will definitely change the way people travel, provided it is well-connected to the outskirts of the City where most IT companies are stationed.

“If the Metro Rail is well-connected to the main hubs (mainly the IT companies) then I can foresee a lot of people giving up their vehicles and take the Metro. I have used the Metro for a year in Delhi  and I have seen how important it is for a daily commuter,” reasons Praveen. He feels Bangalore has definitely lost its charm. “But Metro is sure to change the face of the City and give it a new look and infuse new life into it,” he says.

Cdr Shyam Rao (Retd) Indian Navy, consultant, Dua Consulting can’t wait to see the Metro Rail roll out. He thinks people would stop using their private vehicles, there would be a drop in fuel consumption. “This means there would be less pollution, less crowd and less parking problem,” says Shyam whose apartment in Bayapanahalli overlooks the Metro Rail.

He reasons the authorities must make all efforts to revive the City’s old look, “I just hope trees will be replanted and the boulevard on M G Road will be relaid.”
      Shamal Bantwal, a teacher says the Metro Rail is not going to make much of a difference to her, “My place of work is near home and I move around where I stay. There are a lot of shopping centres closer home so I don’t see the need to travel out to the heart of the City.” The student fraternity who have been keeping a close watch on the progress of Metro Rail, say they can’t wait to travel by the Metro. “The traffic in the City is getting worse by the day. The Metro will save us from endless traffic jams. The Metro will make life so much more easier,” Palak Agarwal sums up.