Bengaluru Metro: MP Tejasvi Surya urges adoption of global standards like Moscow Metro

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya criticised Bengaluru Metro for poor design, high fares, and lack of vision. He urged BMRCL to adopt global standards like the Moscow Metro and demanded transparency in the fare fixation process.

Bengaluru: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday criticised the Bengaluru Metro for its lack of ambition, aesthetics, and respect for commuters.

MP urges BMRCL to learn from global best practices

In a post on X, MP Surya shared a YouTube link to a video titled 'Why Moscow Is Insanely Well Designed', urging the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to learn from international best practices.

"Bengaluru Metro should learn the best from around the world," he post read.

He particularly pointed out the Moscow Metro, highlighting its impressive train frequency of every 80 seconds and its beautifully designed stations, which he said could serve as a model for Bengaluru. 

"Moscow Metro runs at 80-second frequency, covers the city with dense radial lines, costs a fraction, and every station is a work of art. Watch the video in the link below. Public transport isn't just about movement. It's about ambition, aesthetics, and respect for the commuter. But this sentiment is missing in Bengaluru," his post read.

Surya questions fare fixation and demands transparency

Surya also questioned the transparency of the fare fixation process. He expressed concerns over the withholding of the fare fixation committee report, stating that the public deserves to know the reasons behind the steep pricing for the metro services.

"I have again reminded MD @OfficialBMRCL today to make public the fare fixation committee report. Why are you not making it public? What is it that you want to hide? It certainly isn't a document of national security implications that it can't be made public. We deserve a right to understand what led the committee to fix such steep prices for Metro!," the post continued.

He further emphasised the need for public transport to be the most affordable and efficient option for urban mobility, urging authorities to push for improvements in this area. "Public transport has to be the cheapest and most efficient option for urban mobility. We need to push that. Why Moscow Is Insanely Well Designed https://youtu.be/-I26usMiuS4?si=eqryV4aeNFE3SS-t... via @YouTube," the post read.

 <strong>BMRCL operates under joint central and state partnership</strong></h2><p>The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) was established jointly by the Central and <a href="https://newsable.asianetnews.com/tag/karnataka">Karnataka governments</a>, with an equal (50-50) partnership. Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, currently serves as the Chairman of BMRCL.</p><p>According to a statement, officials from both the Central and state governments hold positions as Managing Directors and Directors. Since BMRCL is an autonomous entity, the state government does not have complete control over it. Like all metro corporations across the country, BMRCL operates under the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002, enacted by the Central government.&nbsp;</p>