Noticeably less activity on Praja related to Namma Metro

I was going through all the local TV Channels such as News 9,Suvarna News, Janashree News, TV9 etc in Bengaluru as well as News Papers. Some are giving good publicity and some are criticizing each and every point.

One such channel was Suvarna. They were pointing that this is the most dangerous Metro in the world due to steep curves and any time it could derail. Also  the slowest Metro travelling at only 20kph in curves (although CRS has provided approval for 45kph in curves and 67 in straight lines). Third point pointed was the Third Rail Factor and many people will start committing suicide. And the reporter pointed that this is due to corruption done by BMRCL pointing Sivasilam. They interviewed Mr. M.N. Sreehari and he had lot of points against it. They also pointed there is no parking facility and who will use if there is no parking facility.

I think Mr. Sreehari was not consulted much by BMRCL and hence he is making statements against NM. I don't know what media channels like Suvarna will gain by such anti publicity.  There are a few category of people who always wants to find fault out of something and these channels will cater only them.

I think we should also understand the difficulties they faced. Narrow roads, cannot acquire property and hence sharp curves are inevitable. We should be rather proud that Bangalore transformed from old BTS buses to current Volvo Buses and Now Namma Metro.

If Bangalore can improve on this with added Cycle Tracks and Cycle Docking Stations which has just started in MG Road all across the city, plus BRT, plus starting of congestion pricing to encourage car pooling / public transport / bicycling. 

Most other news papers and channels have published only positive points interviewing people working behind it. Overall there is a festival mood in Bangalore. In BMTC Vovlo bus, everyone was speaking about Metro . 

Waiting eagerly to take a ride on Namma Metro..

I took ride today morning between MG Road to BYPL. Actually our office shuttle passes by Residency Road via Brigade Road Junction. 6 from our shuttle got down and walked down to MG Road at around 7:40 am. MG Road station was well decorated. But the pavement to reach there on the boulevard side was not OK. It was full of barricades probably due to yesterday's function.

. Few nearby people came and said they just wanted to see train and don't want to go anywhere. Security guard didn't allow them. Our laptop bags were checked before entering the station thoroughly.

There was no crowd. We directly headed to ticket counter. We were the only ones. There are 3 counters and counters were like Airline Counters. 3 ladies dressed in full formals like airhostess were vending tickets. Tickets are like black coins. Costed 90 for 4 of us. Tapped at the gate and Took Escalator. There are two levels. First escalator goes to level 1 where there is no platform. Again we have to 1 more escalator.

Train was bound to leave at 7:50 AM. (Service starts from 6AM and will run till 10 pm). Reached Trinity in 1 1/2 minutes, 3 minutes to Ulsoor, 6 minutes to Indiranangar, 9 minutes to Swami Vivekananda Road and 12 minutes to BYPL. We reached BYPL at 8:02 AM.

There are curves after Ulsoor where train slows down a bit and there is 'quo quo' noice from the track. Same thing after Indiranagar to SV Road Station due to 90 degree turn.  Again after SV Road, similar sound while entering BYPL. I could not check the WIFI within the train since I was busy taking videos. People in TV are saying it is very powerful.

A/C was OK not that powerful as I have experienced in New York / Boston Metro. Probably it was not set properly. When train becomes crowded, we need more powerful A/C.

Byappanahlli station was huge, nearly as huge as our Bangalore City Station. Senior BMRCL members were present near the gates to familiarize people on using the tokens and they were very courteous. North Indian guards are deployed and they are very tough. They will be always whistling not to cross the yellow line. In MG Road station, we were allowed to take photographs. In BYPL, a guard shouted on us in Hindi for taking photos. We had Karnataka State Police as well. They were helpful and guided many passengers.

Major problem we faced was to reach our office in Doddanekundi from BYPL. Although it is just 6 kms, there is no direct bus. Feeder buses are not provided to Marathalli / K R Puram / Whitefield.  There were feeder buses to CV Ramannagar. We had to take a bus bound to Hoskote till Tin Factory and take 500L from there to Doddanekundi. Crossing road was horryfing near Tin Factory.

If BMTC can provide feeder towards Marathalli and ITPL, more people will use Metro. Otherwise, it will be just a tourist attraction until all the reaches are opened. 

This can only be termed as sheer callousness of a govt agency. If anyone else had been there, they would have grabbed by 2 hands at the first opportunity.

This is the story about an offer from erstwhile owner of the Plaza Theater to BMRCL offering some heritage photos of the Plaza Theater.

Courtesy - Bangalore Mirror

A letter to BMRCL. No reply
Six years after the movie hall shut down, the family wants to preserve the city’s heritage by offering old photographs of Bangalore’s treasured cinema house for BMRCL to display at the station which stands on the other side. One is a black-and-white picture clicked in 1938 and the other a colour photograph taken in 1994.

“I was the co-owner of the erstwhile Plaza theatre which our family ran from 1936 to 2005. I am enclosing on behalf of the family two photos of the theatre. After approval from your end, we are prepared to donate a photograph of any size and framing of any kind for display in the MG Road Station,’’ A K Ananth Narrain wrote to BMRCL managing director N Sivasailam on September 29.

He is yet to get a response. When that happens, we could get some sepia-tinted memories of a movie hall that screened Ten Commandments and Roman Holiday.

Hope the station will be known as “Plaza station” keeping alive the theaters nostalgic value. I was amused to see Bangalore Mirror being quoted by many praja in this and many other threads too. I was amused because the paper is rated as a mere Tabloid.

@ Sri

One would be pained to loose such a heritage property. BMRCL should be magnanimous enough to acknowledge the contribution as such. I used to know Ananth Narayan a simple unassuming personality. He used to visit Bourdilon YMCA to witness Chess tournaments being organized there by the state chess association, in 1970s. 

This was one of the theatres I frequented as I grew up in that quaint old blr..some memories of plaza are as below:

• Only theatre that I knew which had most things in wood..including most part of the flooring
• only theatre I knew which had old style windows..which were closed and opened manually agter every show
• the theatre used to promote 'paramahamsa yogananda' thru his books like 'autobiography of a yogi' during show intervals and also had a book section
• It would have the screen torn and stitched on the right bottom corner for a long time
• Used to be rodent infested..it was part of that place..not sure it troubled anyone
• I saw 'schindlers list' about 3 times there, the third time there was almost no one in the theatre!!
• had an antique watch shop on the front
• The popcorn was really fresh and affordable even for young boys with few coins

and many more..

Coming to my opinion on wether BMRCL should put up the photos..yes, I think they should dedicate a wall for it..but will they is a bigger question!!

dropping feeder frequency in less than a week after it started is a knee-jerk reaction from bmtc. they do not seem to have the foresight required to make the metro a success. I think bmrc should be allowed to operate the feeders too with a limit on the distance to keep bmtc happy and still maintain their monopoly. 

vasanth,

Other option to beat the KR Puram Bridge mess is State Government / BMRCL requesting IR to run shuttle trains from Whitefield to BYPL until Phase 2 completes.

This is exactly what the Commuter Rail System proposal promises to achieve.

-Syed

6 of us did a BYP-MG Road round trip this morning, some pictures below.

BYP station

BYP Railway Station - is so close. They just need to put Metro quality rakes on those tracks, and Bangalore will be fixed. Why can't we just do it. Frustrating, but that's another story.

Route Info displays inside the coach

Us, at MG Road station, inside BYP

Sad and lonely feeders outside BYP (see a project on the subject)

View in and out, during the ride

Had this comment section at the end

Issues pending with Government of Karnataka
Shifting of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar statue at Vidhana Soudha

Issues Pending with Government of India

Permission of Ministry of Railways is still awaited for the following Works:
1) UNDERGROUND WORKS:
a) Construction of North Ramp (Platform Road)
b) Construction of Pocket track (STC Area)
c) Construction of UG Metro Station at City Railway Station ( MG Colony)
2) Construction of Passenger Walk-Way at Baiyappanahalli Station.
3) Multi Modal Passenger integration facility at Yeshwanthpur.
4) For construction of 66 mtr span crossing over the railway line at Malleswaram.
These long unsettled issues if not resolved immediately may have impact on project time lines , Costs and passenger conveniences.

In this list, some seem to be things that should be resolved very easily.  SomSimilarly items 2, 3 and 4 above are essential and should not be a big deal to decide on?

Anyway, more then the items above, BMRCL has to make sure the underground section gets completed without delay and the whole network starts working soon and adding value.  Else this toy train between BYP and MG Road is just going to be come another money sink.

“The main delay for construction of foot overbridge at Baiyyappanahalli is due to faulty drawings submitted by them (BMRCL). Also, they have never discussed any issue with the Railways except sending the drawings through couriers."

Current status pics of the BYP FOB below. The first pic shows the rebars jutting out where the "planned" FOB is to cross to the other side with stair access to the SWR platforms below. The second pic is the plaza to the other side of the road opposite the rebars where the FOB ends & people possibly walk to the KSRTC terminus a little further away. Of course no travelators planned for useful public utilities like this.

Took the metro finally today. It was quite nice - a few comments though.

1. Whats the point in prohibiting photography - it just distracts the security people from doing their job. Curiously in MG Road you only have to Avoid Photography - but in Byappanhalli it is Strictly Prohibited.

2. The shrill whistle of the security guards is quite annoying - especially since it echoes in the enclosed area. Most of the time they blow the whistle not for any good reason - perhaps because they are bored.

3. I didnt like the dull bluish `Tata' grey colour for all the pillars. Looks pretty 1970s Railways Architecture. They could have painted them a brighter colour.

All in all though it was a pleasant experience and remarkably fast and efficient. I think, though, most of the people using it were still joyriderd like me.

Ramesh

more than half the total number of people are still coming in with cameras even today..this number is sure to dwindle in the coming days..think three months would be a good time to do a study on how reach 1 is really helping people..

To give some indications, I was in a train last thursday at 11 AM, there were 25 people in the train and more than 10-12 were posing for photos..

Well, it is my feeling that the stations on Reach 1 are placed very closeby. For instance MG Road Station and Trinity Station. BYPL Terminal, Old Madras and CMH Road Station. This will slow down the transit times on an already slowed down metro due to curves. This could also have reduced cost and construction time. I thought MG Road, Ulsoor, CMHRoad and BYPL stations would have been sufficient. Feeling Swami Vivekananda Road Station and Trinity station as redundant.

On reach 4 as well, Jayanagar Station and RV Road Terminal are very close. Even South End Station is also close to Jayanagar Station. They could have eliminated one of them.

What do you all feel? I feel we need faster transport and hence we need reduced number of stations. We could have feeder services running in between stations as well.

there could be some trips which can make limited stops service..during peak hours which can skip stations 

I think it will not be possible to do this with existing constraints such as only one set of laid tracks - separate tracks are needed for express /skip-stop services as it will effect frequency & schedules of other regular services.

We may see this double set of tracks on long routes such as the Bellary rd /BIAL route for express /regular services, but maybe not within city.

With reference to HSRL, please see this dicussion.

2011 Infra summary for New Delhi in TOI today, 190kms of metro lines completed 108 more in the next 5 years which will reportedly put it among the biggest in the world. Blue & yellow lines account for 50% of the 18 lakh ridership. The man who made all this happen E Sreedharan is retiring on Dec 31 after 14 years in service.

Inspite of all this the air is the most polluted since 2000 with NOX & RSPM more the 10 times the permissible limit??!!

I don't think DPRs are at fault nor is it about lack of inter-modal integration - no amount of integration will suffice if the public is offered cheap individual transport.

Merely installing a Metro or commuter rail is not sufficient. After these are built, there have to be a series of restraining measures applied to push people away  from cars & two wheelers to trains & buses - the way it is being done in Singapore, London & many cities in Scandinavia.

Experiences have shown that people will not automatically change over. Only when cost & time differentials between public & private transport are made sizable, will people reluctantly take up PT systems, whilst still continuing to blame the inefficiencies of PT services! No point blaming DPRs /Intermodal connectivity & all else.

As regards HSRL, it will work equally well if the road to BIA is tolled heavily, besides increasing fuel & permit costs for taxis - there is no other way to reduce congestion & pollution.

Suppose the taxi fare is made 3000/- to BIA versus 300/- by train, most people will automatically switch over to train even in groups since cost for taxi will still be much higher, however inconvenient - this will in turn result in more attention to integration, walk-friendly streets, pollution-free city, etc.

Same with Metro - there has to be sizable difference in costs to make an impact.

about costing and time factor, these are in place already..

Cost & time factors already in place ?

It probably costs only about Rs.40/- to travel 10km by small car or Rs.20/- by 2-wheeler in much quicker time than by buses. What if this cost is increased to say Rs.200/- & Rs.100/- with high annual vehicle license costs & road tolls ? Will people then think of using private transport ? They will automatically get pushed on to buses & board them.

the road traffic is already a major issue which will move people to using faster PT and cost too is covered because of ever increasing fuel costs..

According to what you state, clogged roads must continue to push people on to public transport !!! - this is thus a circular argument! Traffic does not have to push people to trains & buses - costs must. Only then will congestion & pollution get under some control.

moreover talks are on for congestion chargin too

Talks about congestion charging  aren't the same as implementation - unless costs are substantially increased, nothing will change & this debate about the routes /integration /in-appropriateness /inefficiency, etc etc will keep being repeated whilst everyone merrily use their own wheels.

Btw elevated road to airport will cost as per NHAI norms..which is around 1 Rs per Km at this point and I dont think that should change as this road will also be used by non-airport users too

Congestion & pollution are not caused only by airport users. Every one who adds to congestion & pollution on the roads must be penalised, only then will traffic volumes become manageable. If NHAI has a policy to charge only so much, then, it's a flawed policy which fuels traffic growth - this needs changing, if road traffic has to be reduced.

In Delhi, all roads even those along elevated metro lines are superwide to the point of being superfluous

More road width, though desirable, with no restraining measures in place is traffic-growth biased & will invite even more traffic, whilst claims about Metro's routing being inappropriate will continue by those that prefer to use their own wheels. If they are hit with congestion pricing, compulsory garages, road /bridge /flyover tolls, they will automatically board the trains & buses. Mr Gedapalli may argue that Metro routing is inappropriate, but the routes came off traffic surveys. Metro routes can only follow one line & not multiple lines in one direction & any planned route will of course have some limitations. The argument that DPRs are flawed, thus sounds baseless.

Delhi has been sinking money on Infrastructure like no ones business, in comparision Bangalore looks poverty stricken. In return it has nothing to show other than the showpieces.

This is absolutely true - Delhi has been inviting more traffic than any other city by pumping in huge investments for road infrastructure. Despite equally large investments for PT, road traffic continues to dominate decision making & road development continues with no end in sight - it is not DMRC's call to halt this senseless road development - Delhi administration has to take the appropriate steps. Mr Gedapalli must touch upon this rather than question the appropriateness of the Metro routing.

With paid parking, cordon pricing & garage ownership mandates I think Bangalore is laying a more solid base for maximising PT usage

Hope the lack of road widths in bangalore translate to more PT usage in the future.

BMRC has planned Metro ph-2 routing to result in four interchanges at key nodes (SBC, MG Rd, RV Rd & Jayadeva). This trend of development of Metro lines will allow people to interchange trains at various nodes & reach their destinations with minimal delay/s.

I don't think there is any better way to plan routes than this, apart from probably running the eastern (Byp) line all the way to Whitefield & the southern line along Hosur rd rather than Kanakapura rd in the 1st phase itself, but then, older traffic surveys (from which decisions were made) did not point in this direction at the time.

The next set of interchange nodes (for ph-3) may be at Silkboard & at Byappanahalli where two more lines may be commenced, which will further make travel easier.

This fee structure is good for casual users but metro will make its ridership on work commute users for whom this will just kill. First they dont have working feeders, then they do this. I think each move is having the opposite effect.

I guess if they used the metro card to pay for parking or asked CPS to validate the train trip BMRC can pay CPS & cross subsidise their regular user. They can tie in the parking fees to the number of trips the regular user makes, the more trips he has done on his card on a monthy basis the more discount he gets in slabs.

Parking space is real estate. The real estate and development cost of the parking lot need to be accounted scientifically for zero loss or preferably generation of profit. I am sure the BMRCL must have done their home work before arriving at the parking charges to be levied. What is perhaps missing is “transparency”.   

Malls are short term parking. You dont spend 8 to 12 hours in a mall. The parking fees proposed for NM is NOT expensive in absolute terms for short term parking. For a user like me who just uses the current metro segment to grab lunch the parking fees may be appropriate.

But a public transport parking is to be looked at as long term parking for the regular work commute user. The total cost of travel will become unreasonable for a person who parks idly for the duration of 8 to 12 hours while he works in the office. For this user you will need to look at the parking cost not becoming multiples of the cost of the ticket. He may prefer to drive to work instead & park free in his office.

BTW Delhi is a sad example of public transport promotion. It is advantageous to own a car & drive there.

Delhi is a sad example of public transport promotion. It is advantageous to own a car & drive there 

....As it is anywhere in India !

Govt can cut all the trees along the sarjapur road (near koramangala) and auction them. They can also cut all the trees along sankey tank, let the people keep protesting, it doesn't matter to them, but they are not able to take any decision on shifting the Ambedkar statue yet. Reason - The Vote Bank Politics.

Can't they come out and have a dialogue with people who might protest?

Can't they take all the people and societies in confidence and do what's the good in the interest of city instead of just selfishly adhering to vote bank policy?

Lots of people protested during sarjapur road tree cutting saga, all kinds of IPC codes put against silent and peaceful citizens. What kind of democracy we are living in?

Deepak