Bengaluru: Being a major interchange station, the Kempegowda Metro station in the Majestic sees a huge turnout of passengers on any given day. But sadly the people have poor access to the BMTC, KSRTC, and the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway station once they emerge from it.
KSRTC-Metro
A compound wall all around the the Metro concourse with five gates isolates the seven acre Metro station from the KSRTC bus stand, giving people little access to it.
“BMRCL should have provided access between the KSRTC bus stand and the metro concourse, which is only 30 metres away. Why did it not do its homework and provide this over the last one year? People have to walk one kilometer to reach the Kempegowda metro station, instead of just a few steps" protests Mr Sanjeev Dyamnavar, a transport expert.
While the BMTC has a new '375 lakh foot- over-bridge connecting all its platforms, this stops before the KSRTC bus stand.
Mr Dayamnavar points out there is a ramp going down from the KSRTC terrace, which could give access to the BMTC via the foot over- bridge. “An extension of the same bridge to the Metro station would be seamless. There can be a slope or escalator to bring people down to the concourse level," he suggests.
Railway-Metro
Going to Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station from the Kempegowda Metro station is no easy task either as passengers need to jaywalk on the road to reach the main entrance dragging their luggage, while keeping an eye on the speeding vehicles!
To lessen the burden on its Gates 1 and 2, South Western Railway promised a Rs 1.5 crore Gate 3 with parking space and ticket counters. The project was to be completed in December last year.
“But we still don't see Gate 3 which is adjacent to Platform 1. People coming from South Bengaluru, through Goodshed road will benefit from it. And the Kempwgowda Metro is directly opposite it," said Mr Krishna Prasad of the Karnataka Railway Vedike.
Recalling that a footover bridge was announced in 2016 by the BMRCL and SWR, to connect the metro on the purple line to the City railway station's Platform 10, he says the work seems to be done from the railways side, but the Metro needs to connect the rest
As for the subway under Gubbi Thotdappa road, he says that nobody would want to use it to reach the Majestic station as it has become a den for anti-social activities and is both dirty and ill-maintained.
The BBMP has proposed a skywalk connecting the Metro and KSR, but it has not seen the light of day yet, he points out.
Metro-Bus Bays
Mr Vinay Sreenivasa of Bus Prayannikara Vedike laments that the BMRCL did not consult the BMTC about metro routes and now it wants it to run feeders.
“The Metro map has been designed in such a way that it goes through Jayanagar but does not integrate with the 4th block bus stand, which is an important interchange. I live in this area and it is a 1.5 km walk between the bus stand and Metro," he says.
The Banshankari TTMC is another case in point. Lack of bus bays at Metro stations, especially on National Highway
like Tumkur Main road, or Outer Ring Road sees buses stopping in the midst of traffic and people risking their lives to get on to the feeder, he notes.
