In the coming years, will the expansive Namma Metro network completely bypass the planned suburban network? Looking at the alignments of the Phase II lines, it’s clear that the busy Cantonment, K.R. Puram and Whitefield metro stations — all potential hubs under the suburban rail network — will not be easily accessible from the railway stations.
Protests were held last month after the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) maps showed that the Cantonment metro station in Phase II was more than 800m from the railway station. Similarly, K.R. Puram and Whitefield metro stations are located between 300m and 800m from the railway stations.
“There seems to be no transparency when it comes to BMRCL. Both K.R. Puram and Whitefield are major railway junctions and according to BMRCL’s plan, none of them will be connected to the metro. This is very poor planning on their part,” said Sandeep Anirudhan, member of Whitefield Rising.
The K.R. Puram metro station, which will be the interchange for Purple Line and the Outer Ring Road line, part of Phase 2A that will connect to Silk Board junction, is coming up on the other side of the K.R. Puram Hanging Bridge towards Mahadevapura, according to the map. “Had it been located before the flyover, BMRCL could have easily constructed a foot-over-bridge to connect to the station. But, if BMRCL sticks to its present plan, a foot-over-bridge will not be possible and construction of underpass is not an easy task. This will leave a lot of commuters unhappy,” urban commute expert Sanjeev V. Dyamannavar said, adding that with no inter-modal transport plan, mobility will be greatly affected.
Meanwhile, the Cantonment saga goes on with people continuing their protest against the location of the metro station. On September 15, citizens met Union Minister Ananth Kumar and other high-ranking officials to submit a request for an integrated station.
Residents are angry about BMRCL using a playground used by many children for the station. It will also make it inconvenient for people planning to switch between the railways and the metro. Over 40,000 daily commuters are likely be affected.
BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said: “Both the K.R. Puram and Whitefield metro station will be located close to the railway stations and we will make arrangement for easy access.”
Rising demand for overseeing body
The experience of commuters’ travelling between metro stations and railway stations is enough caution against any proposal where metro stations are at some distance away from other commuting hubs.
Take for instance the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) railway station where the metro is barely 100m away. It’s more than a year since the line was thrown open, but the foot-over-bridge is yet to be constructed. Passengers are forced to lug their bags on a dingy stretch.
At Yeshwantpur metro station, which is adjacent to the railway station, commuters have to cross the busy Tumakuru Road to reach the station. Though a 300m skywalk was been proposed, the project has been stalled because of differences between the metro and railways over cost-sharing. Similar is the case of Peenya and Dasarahalli metro stations, where commuters have to cross the signal-free Tumakuru highway to reach bus-stands on the opposite side.
Civic groups feel that Bengaluru should have a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, which will coordinate among various transport agencies. “We need a single body managing all transport authorities. This will ensure better utilisation of land and better integration of the modes of transport. Right now, all departments are working silos; there is no unified thinking. A unified body, headed by an Additional Chief Secretary, is required,” said urban expert V. Ravichandar.
Stating that a consultative meeting must be held with commuters and residents before taking up major projects, urban commute expert Sanjeev V. Dyamannavar said: “When BMRCL took feedback from citizens on metro to airport and K.R. Puram to Silk Board, why can’t it do the same for other stations?”
