Phase 1 complete but accessing Majestic Metro station a struggle

The first phase of Namma Metro has become operational after nearly a decade but the Kempegowda (Majestic) station, the crucial terminus that gets commuters from both lines besides serving as the interchange, scores low on accessibility.

Commuters coming from the Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (Bengaluru City) railway station, BMTC and KSRTC bus stations are forced to walk on the busy Gubbi Thotadappa Road, putting themselves in a vulnerable position.

The main entrance opposite the railway station is supposed to be linked to the existing subway that connects the railway station with the bus stations. While Metro officials have left a passage to be linked to the subway, it has been blocked from the KSRTC bus station side.

KSRTC Managing Director S R Umashankar said he had taken up the issue and plans were afoot to link the Metro station’s western entrance to the subway. “The Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT) will come up with a design for linking the railway station, BMTC and KSRTC bus stations with the Metro,” he said.

When asked about the specifics, Umashankar said he did not have more details since “experts were finalising the design”. The idea is to make it easy for commuters to access different modes of public transport. The plan will materialise soon, he said.

Urban transport expert Sanjeev Dyamannavar said the DULT had been working on the subway plan for a year now. He said officials could have linked the existing BMTC skywalk to the Metro station by extending it from the KSRTC bus station.

“How can a big project like Metro Phase 1 be complete without providing safe accessibility options to commuters? This shows lack of willingness on the part of the BMRCL to come forward and take up the subway work. It also reflects the lack of co-ordination among the BMTC, the KSRTC and the BBMP,” he said.

The Metro station’s southern entrance is blocked by KSRTC buses parked on the roadside opposite the Upparpet police station. Commuters who come out of the station cannot walk to Chickpet or Upparpet as the BBMP has failed to make the road and the footpath usable.

The part of footpath developed by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will not be of much use as commuters’ path is blocked by auto-rickshaws and buses. The part of the road that is free is littered with garbage and filth.

“We are very excited to ride the Metro train. We don’t have to worry about traffic anymore, but reaching this station is a challenge,” said Suma Rao, who had come to the Majestic Metro station with her friend Nikshita R.