The reasons behind the success of Namma Metro

BMTC to provide feeder services along the Metro routes BBMP and BDA to identify and provide parking facilities at Metro stations Secondary cities in the State should start planning for Metro

The Garden City Bengaluru that had become the Traffic Jam City has now been catapulted into Metro City. In the first two days of it coming into operation, the number of commuters has crossed 3 lakhs. The BMRCL aims at taking the figures between 5 and 7 lakhs. This is only the first phase of Metro with stages 2, 2A and 2B waiting to become operational. Even speculating that the traffic would have increased at that time, the indication that the traffic in those areas where Metro phase 1 is in operation has not increased, as much as it did in other parts of the City, is encouraging. In terms of time, convenience, pollution free, safety, traffic and tension free commuting, the Metro is way beyond any other forms of transport, including public and private modes.

Hence, there is a need to make the best of Metro at institutionalised efforts. This is possible only with the willingness of the government. It must not consider Metro as a competitor to BMTC, but function as a feeder service along the Metro routes. The main problem of commuters is how to reach the Metro stations. If they have to use private vehicles, autos and cabs to reach the stations, then the purpose of Metro is defeated. The role of BMTC officials in this endeavour is huge. The success of Metro will be multifold if BMTC accepts its feeder service initiation, reports Kannada Prabha.

Secondly, both the BBMP and BDA should not ignore the parking problem and consider it as BMRCL’s sole responsibility. Both should come forward to inspect, identify and provide good parking facilities at all Metro stations. If these issues are taken care of, Metro will undoubtedly be a huge success.

It was former chief minister late Ramakrishna Hegde’s dream to get Metro to the City and it has come true after 30 years. The government was aware of the escalating prices, space congestion and problems of civil constructions in the City, growing strong as each year passed,  that determined the need for Metro. Considering London had Metro a century ago, reflects on how lagging behind is our government when it comes to providing mass transport services. Metro is undoubtedly the transport of the future. It is fast and safe. Taking into consideration the hurdles faced and the benefits gained with Bengaluru Metro, the government should plan to introduce Metro in other secondary Cities like Hubballi, Belagavi, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Mangaluru, Kalaburagi and others. The speed with which these cities are developing, construction of Metro would prove difficult after 5 to 10 years. Hence the government would well plan to introduce Metros in those cities at the earliest. The public should bring pressure on respective people’s representatives of their regions to undertake this project.