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Most metro stations along Tumkur road have an exit only on one side of the road. BMRCL is now building underpasses for two of them.
Bangalore, October 10,2017: People getting off at the metro stations on the Tumkur Road who have to risk life and limb to cross the road are likely to get some relief soon. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) has issued tenders for the construction of underpasses for two stations.
Most stations on the part of the Green Line that are on Tumkur Road (National Highway 4) have an exit only on one side of the road, unlike stations on the Purple Line.
Pradeep Singh Kharola, Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), said that tenders were issued for the construction of two underpasses outside Dasarahalli and Nagasandra Metro Stations. The tender was issued on September 27, 2017, and the budget allotted for the construction is Rs. 15 lakhs.
Muniyappa, Chief Engineer of BMRCL, said that the tender will be opened by December 2017. The work will tentatively begin by January 2018 and will be completed by May 2019.
Y.V.Prasad, regional officer of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), said that the NHAI authorities have approved the proposal sent by BMRCL to build the metro underpass. He further said that since the proposal has been passed, the BMRCL must begin construction of the underpass soon.
The initial proposal for the construction of the underpasses sent by the was approved by the NHAI authorities in December 2015.
Peenya traffic police data shows that between Dasarahalli and Nagasandra, there has been a total of four fatal and 13 non-fatal accidents in the last two years.
Residents around Nagasandra area told The Softcopy that it is difficult to cross the road from the metro station since the traffic is heavy.
Ram Singh, 68, said that it is problematic for him to cross the road during the day. Similar views were expressed by N. Geetha, a resident of the area, who pointed out that the area is home to senior citizens and it is difficult for them to travel. She added, “We use the metro to travel … The cars (on the national highway) drive at high speed and it is difficult to cross the road.”
Mr. Aradhaya, a resident of Vinayakanagar spoke about using a skywalk which is around 300 – 400 meters away from the metro station. A person wanting to reach the Nagasandra Metro station from across the road have to walk about 400 metres to the skywalk, cross the road, and walk another 400 metres back to the metro station. He added, “It takes around 15 – 20 minutes to walk to the skywalk and reach the metro station.”
Manjunath K.M, Civil and Structural Engineer, said that BMRCL should have initially constructed the underpass when the metro was being constructed. In the long run, the underpass will benefit the pedestrians, he said.
The residents of Nagasandra have filed petitions to voice their concerns regarding the lack of an underpass outside the Nagasandra metro station. The petition has been filed to the BMRCL.
