The missing link- City needs Inner Ring Road Metro

By Nischith | NT

Bengaluru: Integration and accessibility are the key parameters of an effective mass public transport system, especially if commuters are to shift from private vehicles. With the completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2 on the way, Namma Metro already ferries over four lakh commuters per day. Currently, its routes connect the city centre with the Outer Ring Road but linking it with the Inner Ring Road is crucial for last mile connectivity, experts believe.

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) had proposed the Inner Ring Metro, a fully underground 34-km-long metro line that was, at the time, expected to be finished in 2031. Sadly, this plan remains exclusively on paper. The Inner Ring Road Metro is a mammoth project, comprising a 34-kmlong metro line with 23 stations and six interchanges when complete. Activists are of the opinion that the BMRCL begin working on the Inner Ring Road line on a priority basis by starting with the missing links and connecting them with the major commercial and educational hubs. It will go a long way, they say, in reducing traffic congestion and facilitating the move to public transport.

These are also the findings of a report submitted by the Transportation Research Lab at the Indian Institute of Science. The report, which was submitted in February 2020, evaluated the merits of the Inner Ring Road Metro (IRM).

The IRM, the report says, can achieve a 77 percent increase in the Metro’s ridership by 2030 and take the network length up to 203 km. The report also says the completion of the IRM could result in a 14 percent decrease in the number of Vehicle Kilometres Travelled, a decrease of 11 percent in fuel consumption and a 9 percent increase in Non-Motorised Transport trips. This means a four percent decrease in emissions each year.

What’s standing in the way?

The cost is prohibitive – according to BMRCL, the expense stands at about Rs 600 crore per kilometre. However, delaying the execution of the IRM will only drive the cost up further, as land becomes more valuable and acquisition more expensive. “An underground network is three times more expensive than an elevated network,” says Ranjit B.L., a regular metro commuter. “I’m afraid that the project will be shelved altogether and the city will lose out on all its benefits.”

The route:

The 34-km long INR connectivity starts in Yeshwanthpur, at Mekhri Circle, goes towards Cantonment Railway Station, Indira Nagar, Domaluru, Koramangala, Ashoka Pilar, BMS College, Toll Gate and reaches Mahalakshmi Layout. This will provide accessibility to other modes of transport (which is a problem in more remote metro stations), to educational institutions and reduce the burden on the Majestic Interchange station. “A person travelling on the Purple Line will come all the way to Kempegowda Station to change to the Green Line. The Inner Ring Road Metro will help shorten this commute,” says transport expert Krishna Prasad.

According to sources from BMRCL, the estimated cost of the 34-km Inner Ring Road Metro, with its 23 metro stations, is Rs 600 crore per kilometre. That has resulted in the delay.

Speaking to News Trail, Shivakumar G.C, an engineer who works on BMRCL Planning, says that the project the cost might be the reason for the project’s delay, despite the many benefits it can provide to the city.

‘Connect Metro with suburban rail to reduce cost’ - Sanjeev V. Dyamannavar, Transport expert

An affordable, reliable and multi-modal mass transport system is a basic necessity for any big city. We need to take a second look at how to improve Metro connectivity within the city, which then became the basis for the IISc report.

The bottom line is this: How can the travel time be reduced with minimum interchanges? For instance, If one branch of the Green Line is extended from Rajajinagar Metro towards Hosahalli Metro, for a distance of around three or four kilometres, it will provide seamless connectivity between the Inner Ring Road from Yeshwanthpur up to Mysuru Road and further up to Kengeri. Similarly, the Electronic City – R.V. Road and Jayanagar can be extended up to Deepanjali Nagar Metro near Mysore Road Junction by about seven kilometres. It will give direct connectivity from South Bengaluru to West Bengaluru. Filling these missing links will automatically cover about 50 percent of the Inner Ring Road Metro line without much cost. It can also be done in around three years.

Apart from that, the Airport Metro line which goes from Silk Board to Hebbal covers another 30 to 40 percent of the Outer Ring Road, going through the Eastern and Northern parts of Bengaluru. By bringing a suburban rail line to the Heelalige Corridor to Rajanakunte a