Soon Namma Metro will conduct evacuation drill in order to educate commuters on procedures to be followed during emergencies. According to Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Pradeep Singh Kharola, Namma Metro has developed standard operating procedure to be followed in case of any emergency. And, in the next 10 days, evacuation drill will be held.
The procedure to deal with the emergency will differ depending on the cause of breakdown. “A power outage is usually restored within a few minutes. In case of a malfunction, the train will be dragged to the nearest station by a rescue train,” Mr. Kharola explained.
In the worst case scenario, evacuation has to be carried out midway. Unlike in Delhi Metro, people cannot alight from Namma Metro and walk on the track as power line runs alongside. Commuters have to walk to the nearest metro station on the one-metre wide walkway along the boundary wall of the metro line supported by railings.
Tender process for Phase 2 soon
Pradeep Singh Kharola, Managing Director, BMRCL, has said tenders for Namma Metro Phase II will be called in a month’s time. He was speaking at an interactive session organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) here recently.
According to him, Namma Metro Phase I will become operational by September 2015. Reach 3 and 3A now operational till Peenya would be extended till Hesaraghatta Main Road and this stretch would be thrown open to public by November 2014.
Reach 2 covering a distance of 6.52 km between Magadi Road and Mysore Road would become operational by December 2014.
Mr. Kharola said the entire East-West corridor between Byappanahalli and Mysore Road terminal would be completed by March 2015.
