Bengaluru: Imagine landing at a Namma Metro station and then waiting and waiting for a bus or cab to your destination!
Realising the problems metro commuters could face in the absence of last mile connectivity, metro officials are in talks with app-based taxi aggregators to integrate taxis with the metro network and also make BMTC introduce mini buses as feeder services to and from the stations.
Managing Director of BMRCL, Pradeep Singh Kharola said, “Details have to be worked out with the app based cab aggregators. An idea has been floated and soon we will have more clarity on this.” On the lack of parking space around metro stations, he said, “Major stations have good space for parking but it is not possible to give parking space at every station. I do not think people have to bring their cars till the metro stations, they can take a cab or a bus.”
A BMRCL official said, “We have space at the Peenya station and Peenya industrial area. We had called for tenders for the parking facility but due to low footfalls, it was not attractive enough and we did not receive good participation. Once all other lines open, we will again call for tenders.”
Similarly there have been talks with BMTC to provide feeder services. A BMTC official said, “We be getting some more buses from the government, then we will dedicated the mini buses for feeder services at metro stations.”
Meanwhile, the cost of Metro phase 1 has escalated by about Rs 2,000 crore. The project cost now stands at Rs 13,805 crore. There are just five small stretches open for the public now- Reach 1 (MG Road to Byappanahalli, 6.7km), Reach 3 (Sampige Road to Yeshwanthpur, 5.1km), Reach 3a (Yeshwanthpur to Peenya Industrial area, 4.8km), Reach 3b (Peenya Industry to Nagasandra, 2.5km) and Reach 2(Magadi Road to Mysore Road, 6.4km). The four major lines yet to be completed are Reach 4 (National College to Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road), Reach 4a (Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road to Puttenahalli), UG 1 (North-South underground line) and UG 2 (East-West underground line).
