Feeder buses in pipeline for Whitefield metro station

Representatives of the citizens’ movement Personal2Public urged transport minister Ramalinga Reddy to introduce feeder buses connecting Whitefield metro station to nearby tech parks, at a meeting at the BMTC head office on Saturday. Reddy expressed interest in the proposal, and directed BMTC officials to schedule follow-up meetings on the subject.

Metro’s Purple Line is expected to become fully functional in September with the opening of the Biayappanahalli-KR Puram stretch.

“Around six lakh people are estimated to work in the IT companies around Whitefield, and more along nearby sections of the Outer Ring Road. Feeder buses can cater to this population. This is also about making the metro line successful,” said Srinivas Alavalli of Personal2Public, a joint campaign by World Resources Institute (WRI) and Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) to promote public transport in Bengaluru.

The campaign is also supported by groups like Whitefield Rising, Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), and Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU). Alavilli said they are currently working out the route map for the feeder buses, which would be passed on to BMTC as suggestions.