The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has received a proposal from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) about inner ring metro that can contribute in combating the rising congestion in the core area of the city in a bigger way.
BMRCL has already agreed to take into consideration this proposal by IISc and has even asked the concerned experts at the institute to conduct a simulation study. The decision was taken after the presentation made by IISc at the meeting.
Route To Undergo Several Changes
The underground metro line proposed by the topmost research institute in the country will be around 35 km in length and connect Sandal Soap Factory and Ulsoor via CV Raman Road-Jayamahal Road and finally go through Domlur and reach Wilson Garden. The other half of the metro line will join Srinagar and complete the circle by turning right on Chord Road.
The Managing Director of BMRCL, Ajay Seth said, “The route will undergo several changes before a proposal is made.” Seth further added that the proposal of the metro was not the only option to tackle the congestion problem and they will be more clear about it after assessing the feasibility of metro and the traffic.
“Potential traffic study and construction feasibility for the inner metro ring is yet to be studied. The elevated inner ring seems difficult. We are exploring other options also for more mass transport options within the city’s core (within Outer Ring Road),” Seth said.
Completion Of Phase 2 & ORR-Airport Line Is Prime Focus
According to Seth, the prime focus of BMRCL currently is on the completion of Phase 2 and ORR-Airport line. Both DULT and BMRCL are currently preparing the Comprehensive Mobility Plan. It is expected to include potential mass transport corridors that may include the bus rapid transport system in specific areas without any metro connection. The IISc experts stated that through their traffic simulation study they will focus on potential ridership commuting via proposed route.
Prof. Ashish Verma of Transport Engineering Department said, “Over time, road infrastructure will be saturated, and mass rapid transport is the only option. Metro networks in global cities will usually have both radial and circular routes, which cover the center of the city. A circular metro, especially an underground line, will do a great job at reducing congestion in the coming years.”
