Karnataka Govt plans Rs 30,695 crore metro rail project in Bengaluru

Bengaluru (Urban Transport News): To ease commuting in Bengaluru, Karnataka Government has decided to extend the network of Bangalore Metro Rail from 119 km to 300 km at a whopping cost of Rs 30,695 crores. Presently, nearly 70,000 vehicles choking the city roads and causing gridlocks across the Bengaluru. Sharing information on future plans of Karnataka government, an official in the Chief Minister's office said:

To ease the chaotic traffic across the city where about 80,000 vehicles choke the arterial roads, the government has decided to extend the Bangalore metro rail network to 300 km by adding 181 km in the third phase to reach satellites towns by 2025.

To provide efficient and punctual service to more commuters across the city the 43-km metro rail network in phase I of Bangalore Metro rail project is being expanded by another 76 km in phase II at a cost of Rs 26,405 crores.  It is expected that the phase II will be completed by 2021.

Officials monitoring the project from CMO official said that they are approaching the Central government for its equity share and approvals to fast-track its third phase as the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) is a joint venture of Govt of India and Govt of Karnataka. The following are the new five metro routes planned under phase III of Bangalore Metro rail project-

• KR Puram - Hoskote
• Silk Board - Electronic City
• Kengeri - Ramangram
• Nayandanahalli - Nelamengala
• MG Road - Devanahalli

An extended metro service and a 162-km suburban rail service will not only ease pressure on roads, highways, and flyovers but also minimize migration of people from towns and villages around the city to reduce pressure on the civic amenities.

It is estimated that the metro services on the east-west and north-south routes ferry about 4-5 lakh people on the 43-km route, easing pressure on the BMTC bus service plying across the city. The government has also decided to hire about 6,000 buses to be operated by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to promote public transport and discourage the use of cars and two-wheelers for commuting across the city.

With aims to regulate and maintain the traffic of buses, metro, and suburban rail services across the city, the government is also planning to set up a unified transport authority in name of "Bengaluru Mobility Management Authority".