The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) says it is focusing on boosting first and last mile connectivity to metro stations so that commuters will not have to rely on private transport.
Commuters of Namma Metro are forced to park their vehicles on roads, contributing to traffic congestion, as the parking lots in the metro stations lack sufficient space. While several of them demand multi-level parking spaces, the Chief Public Relations Officer and Chief Engineer at BMRCL, Yashvanth Chavan, said that the BMRCL lacks sufficient funds for expanding the parking spaces or building multi-level parking and is working on improving metro feeder bus services.
Rajiv, a regular commuter from the Vijayanagar metro station, said that the parking space at the station is limited, so he has to arrive early to get a spot. “On the days that I am late, I have no choice but to park on the road,” he said.
Manoj, the parking attendant at the station, said that on weekdays, the parking space gets filled by 10 or 11 a.m., and after that people have to park on the roads. He also said that there is no four-wheeler parking space at the station.
Srinivas, a commuter who frequently drives by the metro station, said that two-wheelers parked along the station on the road restricts smooth vehicle movement, especially for four-wheelers and large vehicles. He added that parking on the road also leads to traffic jams in the area.
Rajan, a resident of Hosahalli, said that he does not use the metro for regular commute because there is no provision for four-wheeler parking at the Hosahalli metro station. He said, “There is no space where I can park my car. There is a four-wheeler parking at the Attiguppe metro station, but why should I have to drive up there? And even when I do at times, I find the parking space already fully occupied.” Vineeta, another Hosahalli resident faces the same problem. “I want to use the metro more frequently, but the BMRCL must provide adequate four-wheeler parking space at every metro station,” she said.
A regular commuter from the Attiguppe metro station said that he rides his bike to the station daily and almost always struggles with finding a space in the parking lot. “I would not have to ride to the metro station and struggle for parking if metro feeder buses were available from here,”he said.
Ananth, a student of Christ University, said, “I think the lack of adequate parking at the metro stations defeats the purpose of metro as a mode of public transport.” He added that people continue to rely on private vehicles for travel because the stations lack parking space. “The BMRCL must construct multi- level parking facilities to deal with this problem,” he said. Construction of multi- level parking facilities was a demand of many commuters. Radha, another student, said, “The number of vehicles in Bangalore is only increasing, the authorities should build multi-level parking for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers, like in Mumbai.”
Yashvanth Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer at the BMRCL, said that Trinity, MG Road, Goraguntepalya, Yeshwantpur, Sampige Road and KR Market metro stations do not have parking facilities. He acknowledged that many metro stations lack adequate parking facilities given the growing number of private vehicles in the city.
He said that together with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), the BMRCL is trying to tackle the problem by focusing on improving first and last mile connectivity. “Currently there are metro feeder buses running from 25 of the 66 Namma Metro stations. Consistent efforts are being made to introduce feeder buses from many more stations. This way people will not have to rely on private transport, which will help reduce carbon emissions.”
According to an Oct. 19, 2023 press release by the BMTC, four new metro feeder buses have been introduced from Hoodi and JP Nagar metro stations and from Jayanagara 9th block and Banashankari. According to another press release, the BMTC is also providing late night metro feeder services from major metro stations since Nov. 18, 2021.
Chavan also informed that there are no plans to build multi-level parking in the metro stations as the cost of land in Bangalore is very high. “It would not be a very profitable investment,” he said.
Prof. M.N. Sreehari, advisor to the Government of Karnataka for traffic, transportation and infrastructure said that the BMRCL should expand and improve parking facilities at the metro stations. He said, “This is necessary to rescue the roads from being turned into parking spots and thereby restricting free vehicular movement.”
He added that the traffic police must take notice of and issue fines to those parking in “No Parking” zones. The BMRCL should also provide low-cost parking facilities so that people are encouraged to park at parking spaces only. He further said that the ticket cost of the metro feeder buses should be kept low, and the number of these buses should be increased to prevent overcrowding.
