Work on Bengaluru’s Namma Metro stations for Reach 1 will begin in January-February 2009, and Reach 1 of the Metro will be completed by December 2010, say Metro officials. Tenders for the station construction, which were floated in August this year, were open to Indian and international companies. The companies that will undertake the construction of the stations are in the process of being finalised. Namma Metro will consist of a number of intermediate and terminal stations.
While the terminal station is coming up at Byappanahalli, intermediate stations will come up at MG Road, Trinity Circle, Ulsoor, CMH Road and Old Madras Road. The designs for these stations, from Anil Kumble Circle on MG Road to Byappanahalli, passing through Trinity Circle, Ulsoor, CMH Road and Old Madras Road have been finalised. They have been planned for three times the expected load.
Metro pillars being constructed on Old Madras Road (pic: Arvind Padmanabh Shenoy)
The Metro stations will consist of two levels, with platforms being on the upper level. While the terminal station at Byappanahalli will be fairly extensive, the intermediate stations will just about cater to passengers’ minor needs; with small kiosks, ATMs and restrooms.
There will be no space for restaurants and shops inside the stations. No parking for private vehicles will be permitted as the idea is to discourage people from using their own vehicles. "A feeder bus system will take people as close to their homes as possible," says BL Yashavanth Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL). There will be drop-off and pick-up points for buses and private vehicles, though.
All stations will be disabled-friendly, with ramps for the handicapped and ductile tiles and Braille buttons in elevators for the blind. The Metro will be accessible for wheelchair bound passengers too, with space being provided for them behind the driver’s cabin. Furthermore, all stations will be accessible via elevators and escalators. BMRCL will take all measures to ensure fireproof stations. At the moment, security is limited to having CCTVs, though BMRCL may go in for better arrangements, given the present scenario.
BMRCL is thinking of introducing a ‘smart card’ that people can use to pay their fare. This can be used for the feeder bus system too, saving the passenger the inconvenience of buying tickets every time. "We are negotiating with some banks to see if the smart card can also function as a debit/credit card making it easier for passengers to top up their card and use it for purchases," adds Chavan. The Delhi Metro already has the SMART card system in place. In London, the Metro/travel card is used for tracking the movements of passengers.
Work, especially acquisition of properties for Reaches 2, 3 and 4 of the Metro, is proceeding smoothly, claims BMRCL. A total of more than 362 private properties have been acquired in areas such as Magadi Road, Deepanjalinagar, Swastik, Vanivilas Road, KR Road and Puttenahalli. Compensation of about Rs.270 crores has been paid out for these properties. These include 171 private and 14 government properties for Reach 2 (from Anil Kumble Circle to Mysore Road via Majestic and Deepanjalinagar); 150 private and 31 government properties for Reach 3 (from Majestic to Peenya via Swastk, Malleshwaram and Yeshwnathpur), 40 private and 10 government properties for Reach 4 (from Majestic to Puttenahalli via City Market, K.R. Road and Southend Circle).
"We have given the owners a very fair deal and they have handed their properties over to us", says Gangadariah, officer in charge of land acquisition and rehabilitation at the BMRCL
For Reach 1 of the Metro, covering stretches like CMH Road, some 123 private and 40 government properties have been acquired, costing the exchequer Rs.78.32 crores. Some of the owners have contested BMRCL’s move, and the cases are pending in court.⊕
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My only wish for all people constructing something or other in Bangalore is please get rid of the construction left over and waste occupying streets everywhere. Why dont they have a service where people can come and collect heavy rubbish for a price? It is a disgrace to see so many new constructions surrounded by rubbish and not being cleaned up. The munisipality should clean up and charge the owners of the house or office etc a fee. The citizens of Bangalore need to take personal responsibility for their own rubbish and not blame the government for all the mess they create. Citizen matters should raise this issue in various citizen fora.