Bengaluru to run Metrolite on two corridors of BMRC under PPP mode

Bengaluru, India (Urban Transport News): In his budget speech for 2020-21, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced that the Outer Ring Road-West Metro and Magadi Road Metrolite line would be built through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The Outer Ring Road Metro project will connect Hebbal and JP Nagar to decrease congestion on ORR. Both corridors are part of Phase II of the Bangalore Metro Rail project.

This is the first time the public-private-partnership (PPP) model has been proposed by the state government for a Metro rail project in the city. So far, the metro rail project executing body Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) has handled the works by involving contractors. According to the proposed model, the state government will select a private company that would be given the responsibility to build and run Metro systems on the corridors.

Earlier, the Airport Express Metro line in Delhi, Mumbai Metro Line 1 and entire corridors of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project were constructed under the PPP model. While unveiling his budget proposals, the chief minister said:

The preparation of the detailed project report for ORR-West Metro and Magadi Road Metrolite will be taken up; it is proposed to be implemented through a public-private partnership.

The detailed project report (DPR) for the 30-km ORR-West Metro line and 14-km Magadi Road Metrolite project will be ready in a few months, said BMRC officials. So far, the metro rail projects are mostly financed by central and state governments with loans from financial institutions. “Whether private firms will entirely build, operate and maintain Metro systems will be decided based on a project’s financial viability and ridership estimation,” said a BMRC official, TOI reported. Metrolite is a light rail transit system with smaller coaches, like a monorail.

“The construction of the 56-km line, from Central Silk Board to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) via KR Puram and Hebbal, at an estimated cost of Rs 14,500 crore will commence in 2020-21,” Yediyurappa further said, TOI reported. He also said that Mysuru Road-Kengeri and Yelechenahalli-Anjanapura township corridors would be commissioned this year. Road cross-over facilities like a foot-over bridge (FOB) for non-Metro commuters will also be built at 24 metro stations.