Metro, BMTC to work out feeder service

Metro, BMTC to work out feeder service
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: With the city all set to get the metro rail, there will be a need to set up an effective feeder system to carry commuters to the suburbs once the project is complete. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is considering various options.

BMTC managing director Upendra Tripathy told this website’s newspaper that BMTC will get adequate returns from running a metro feeder service.

‘‘By 2010 we will have about 6,000 buses and we expect our carrying capacity to increase to 45 lakh passengers a day. By then the metro will have a carrying capacity of 8.2 lakh passengers a day. This would bring down our ridership to 38 lakh, but our profits will not be affected. The loss of will be made up through non-traffic revenue from commercial complexes. Non-traffic revenue is expected to go up to Rs. 100 crore soon,’’ he said.

‘‘BMTC has been consistently making a profit since 1998 and the metro operations will enhance services,’’ he added. Tripathy also said bus routes will be rescheduled to fit the metro schedule.

‘‘We will not be operating parallel to the metro, but we will operate in particular suburbs, connecting their interiors. This will make it easier for the people. When they alight at different points, connection to bus stations will be facilitated. The 500 sq km of arterial roads will then be connected well. The aim is to reduce congestion,’’ he said.

Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Limited (BMRTL) officials told this website’s newspaper that the Project Investment Board (PIB) meeting in Delhi, this month-end, will allow BMRTL to have direct deliberations with the BMTC on feeder services.

BMRTL chief engineer M.N. Keshava Prakash said, ‘‘After the PIB’s approval, we will meet the BMTC and identify feeder routes. This will probably happen in December. This feature will have common ticketing for metro and the BMTC. This will eliminate confusion over tickets for different routes.’’

BMRTL chief engineer Yashavanth Chavan told this website’s newspaper that a French model of integrated transport system could be adopted.

‘‘A circular system can be operated in arterial roads, buses can stop coming to the city centre, they can start from metro stations and move into the interior suburbs,’’ he said.

Upendra Tripathy stated that research was being done on European and South American models of integrated transport system. ‘‘We are looking at the bus transport systems in Bogota, Columbia feeder models.’’