Construction of escalators at the Yeshwanthpur metro station, supposed to be completed by December 2023 keeps getting delayed.
The construction of escalators at the Yeshwanthpur metro station started in November 2023 is yet to be completed. Construction workers cite insufficient number of workers as one of the reasons. Officials from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) say they have not fixed a deadline for the completion of the work.
Ashwin, a daily commuter from the Yeshwantpur metro station said, “I take the metro to Halasuru everyday for my work, it takes me an hour to reach Halasuru. At the Yeshwantpur metro station, half of my time goes in finding my way through the thick crowd at the concourse and the two working escalators.”
Neeyati, another commuter at the Yeshwanthpur metro station said, “I last came here in December and the escalators construction was underway; I was expecting that the construction work would have been done by now.” It becomes difficult for senior citizens and people carrying heavy luggage to commute from this metro station without proper escalators and lifts.
“The constructed escalators are still not in use for the people, due to some technical problems which are yet to be solved. Only two functional escalators are available for the people- one from the concourse to platform Two and the other from platform One to the concourse,” said Ashoknath, an operational officer on Yeshwanthpur metro station.
Vikas Babu, a construction worker at the metro station said, “There are only three workers, including me, working at the Yeshwanthpur metro station, other workers have been allotted different stations.”
The BMRCL has constructed four escalators on 29 stations including Nagasandra, Vijayanagar, Magadi Road,KR Market, Vidhana Soudha, Byappanahalli and, Pattanagere.
Yashvanth Chavan, Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) of BMRCL said, “We witnessed accidents due to heavy footfall in the stations and built more escalators, but are currently unable to fulfill the demands of commuters to build more escalators”
The geographical area of most metro stations can accommodate only four escalators and two lifts. However, some underground stations have a huge area and are so provided with more escalators on demand, he said.
Yogesh, a customer care employee at the Mahatma Gandhi Road metro station said, “As MG Road is one of the busiest metro stations, we have asked the BMRCL to build acrylic sheets for safety on the escalators, which are now covered with nets.”
“The acrylic sheets for safety are not as such required on all the stations, but would be built soon only at the required stations,” said Yashvanth Chavan.
Vikram Bhatt, an urban planner said, “The lack of planning is one of the main reasons for the overcrowding on metro stations. Stations like Rajaji Nagar, Mahalaxmi, Sandal Soap factory, Yeshwanthpur, Goraguntepalya coming in the same stretch have same area. But the analysis of outflow and inflow of commuters is lacking.”
He suggested extending the concourse, but not the platform, redesigning the metro station and building two or more escalators to make metro stations better accessible to commuters. “Usage of feeder buses on the connecting stretches of the busiest metro stations such as Rajajinagar to Yeshwanthpur, Majestic to Mahakavi Kuvempu road, Halasuru to Byappanahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar to Vijayanagar could also help,” , he said.
