BMTC mulls feeder service

Bengaluru: Even as the Metro Rail is getting ready to fully operate its east-west corridor, talks are on between the BMRCL and BMTC to introduce feeder services to its stations on the route.

While the BMTC  has conducted a survey to see which areas will require additional buses, the BMRCL has not yet given it the required infrastructure despite many requests, which could see its buses parked on the main roads near the stations,  adding to the traffic mess.

An official from the traffic wing of the BMTC said the survey revealed that more  buses would have to be run  from areas like Gyana Bharthi, Kengeri  and Rajarajeshwari to the Nayandanahalli Metro station. “The traffic pattern is likely to change drastically. However, we have frequent buses from Kengeri to Majestic.

So we will divert some buses to these areas and cut down a few buses from Kengeri to Majestic. These buses from interior areas will be available at a frequency of five to 10 minutes. We are also adding few more buses to areas near the Vijayanagar metro station," he said. This is not all. Eight airconditioned buses and non-AC buses will be added from Byappanahalli Metro station to ITPL.

But BMTC is quite disappointed with Namma Metro for not providing any parking space  for its buses at Byappanahalli  and a few other stations, although some space has been promised at Nayandanahalli station. Said a BMTC official, "BMRCL should give us infrastructure to park at least seven to eight buses at the stations."

The Metro stretch from Byappanahalli to Mysuru Road is expected to open for commercial operations shortly.