JOIN USLack of safe access to Majestic Metro station puts commuters at risk
Thousands of people put themselves at risk every day as they are forced to walk on the busy Gubbi Thotadappa Road to reach the Kempegowda Metro station from the city railway station and the KSRTC and BMTC bus stands.
The subway connecting the KSRTC and BMTC bus stations to the railway station is not more than 100 metres away from the Metro station. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has a north-west entrance directly opening to the KSRTC bus station, from where this subway can be accessed. But the BBMP is planning to build a skywalk from the Metro to the city railway station instead of connecting the existing subway.
According to official data, the Kempegowda Metro station at Majestic sees more than 40,000 footfall per day. “Around 18,000 people exit the station every day. The number of people entering the station may be a little more,” Metro officials said.
With the entire Phase 1 of Namma Metro set to be operational within a month, officials are expecting nearly one lakh footfall at the Kempegowda Metro station. However, these commuters will be at the mercy of speeding vehicles on Gubbi Thotadappa Road as they walk to the Metro station.
“Space which was meant to build a passage or a tunnel from the north-west corner of the Metro station to the existing subway is lying waste,” a BMRCL official said.
While there is no information on linking the subway, both BMRCL and BBMP have planned a skywalk. In March, BMRCL officials wrote to BBMP offering to build a skywalk on condition that they get the advertising rights. The BBMP, however, rejected it stating that it has already called a tender for the skywalk to connect the railway station.
“The skywalk will be built under private partnership (DBFOT) model, without any expenditure from our side. We have received a good response for the tender. Work will begin soon,” a senior engineer in BBMP said.
The BBMP, however, seems to be oblivious to the fact that the footpath from the subway to the Metro station is in ruins and what remains of it has been occupied by public toilets and garbage.
A skywalk will not only occupy the footpath, but will also prove to be ineffective in handling the rush to the Metro station. Connecting the Metro station to the most utilised subway in the city is a practical and a long-term solution, said an official. A senior BBMP official said a skywalk was more scientific as “women fear entering subways”. Commuters, however, said well-lit subways with CCTV cameras and regular maintenance should be provided instead of forcing people to enter dingy holes.
Nagaratnamma, who travels from Kengeri to KR Market everyday, said she has been using the subway to reach the BMTC bus station from the railway station everyday. “If they do not provide any security inside the subway, even men will fear entering it,” she said.