Bangalore Metro

I have been a regular commuter on Namma Metro since 2017 when Namma Metro’s phase one was inaugurated with connectivity to southwest Bengaluru. Two lines, the Purple Line** and Green Line were opened with an interchange at Majestic. I used to take the Purple Line from Mysore Road initially. Now I travel from Raja Rajeshwari Nagar to Cubbon Park/ MG Road almost daily. At the time the two metro lines became operational, the hope was that this would help reduce air pollution and congestion along with the catchment areas of these routes. Hopes that have been totally belied because of…

Bengaluru is a major IT hub and its public transport is key in facilitating the economic activities and providing means for the public to commute across the city. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL), which is in charge of the metro rail project of the city, is building lines across the city in phased manner. While some lines have made progress in time, others have been delayed as well.  Here’s what Bengaluru’s overall plan for Namma Metro looks like: Phase 1: Construction of Phase 1, with routes totaling 42.3 km, started in April 2007. Its first section, connecting Baiyyappanahalli to…

Workers building Namma Metro are facing a severe crisis due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Despite the central government’s order to all states to ensure that wages are paid during the lockdown period, the companies and contractors involved in Metro work have not paid most workers their salaries for February and March.  The construction of Metro Rail’s Yellow Line was stopped overnight on the day of the lockdown, and workers were asked to leave the construction site without any prior notice. Unless urgent action is taken by BMRCL and concerned authorities, thousands of workers will be directly affected and the secondary…

Two recover from COVID-19, two more 'almost' recover Two COVID-19 patients quarantined in the state-run RGICD (Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases) have completely recovered. The 47-year-old wife of the first patient who'd returned from US on March 1, and a 26-year-old IT employee who returned from Greece, have been asymptomatic for a week. They were tested once every three days. The woman's husband and 13-year-old daughter have “almost recovered", according to the government. They will be home-quarantined for 14 days after discharge. Meanwhile, there is a demand to screen domestic passengers apart from international travellers, at airports. At Kempegowda…

SAP offices closed after H1N1 cases  After a couple of employees in the German software group SAP were tested positive for the H1N1 virus in Bengaluru, sources in the Indian arm of the company said Thursday that they had shut down all national offices for sanitisation. SAP India offices in Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Mumbai have been temporarily closed and employees have been asked to work from home. As per WHO (World Health Organisation), H1N1 symptoms include fever, chills and sore throat, like seasonal influenza. However, it is characterised by higher fatality rates among healthy young adults, as well as greater…

40% progress in road-cum-Metro rail flyover The BMRCL (Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd) has made 40% progress in the road-cum-Metro rail flyover on the 3.2 km stretch between Ragigudda, JP Nagar and Central Silk Board on Marenahalli Road. This section is part of the Bommasandra - RV Road line in Phase 2 of Namma Metro. BMRCL says that the most complex activity was the launching and fixing of wings to the spine segment of the road flyover, which is now completed. This is the first road-cum-rail flyover in the city. The Rs 330 crore structure has a four-lane flyover at…

It seems like Bengaluru is sitting on a powder keg. Recently the state Transport Department revealed that a staggering 50,000 vehicles were registered every month in the city, on average, in 2019. The public transport (PT) system here - Metro and buses - is hampered by the lack of seamless connectivity. This in turn forces commuters to use private cars, two-wheelers and private buses, along with intermediate public transport (IPT) like autos and cabs. The increasing number of private vehicles have led to traffic congestion, increased travel time and air pollution. Despite introducing Metro and procuring more buses, Indian cities…

Can you believe this: A mammoth project such as Namma Metro in Bengaluru has, so far, been built without a broad mobility blueprint for the city in mind? In other words, Phase 1 -- which is already up and running -- and Phase 2 -- which is under construction -- do not integrate either with the existing transportation infrastructure (public bus service, pedestrian infrastructure, cycling infrastructure, cab aggregators and bike taxis) or with developmental plans of other civic agencies (BBMP, BDA, BWSSB etc).  If so, will seamless travel in Bengaluru remain a distant dream? It also begs the question whether…

This February, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) published the Draft Bengaluru Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Policy. On inviting public suggestions and objections on the draft policy, BMRCL got just 32 responses. To put this number in perspective, Bengaluru’s total population is approximately 120 lakh, of which the working population is around 55 lakh (46 percent). Adding to this, the 5-19 age group which also needs to commute, would peg commuter numbers in the city at an estimated 77 lakhs (about 64 percent of the total population). But, only 28 lakh use public transportation. Obviously, the commuter numbers are…

  City may face water crisis by September Inconsistent southwest monsoon, especially at the Cauvery catchment area, may lead to water scarcity in Bengaluru. BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) sources say that the city's water needs can be met only till September, due to poor inflow and plummeting water levels at the Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS) dam. This too would be possible only if the government does not release water into canals for irrigation. Currently, KRS holds only 9.34 TMC of water, as against 30.12 TMC last year. Since Mysuru, Mandya and other areas too depend on KRS, water…