There should be a discussion on monorail vs metro

There should be a discussion on monorail vs metro
The Times of India


Since there are claims and counter-claims by advocates of the metro and the monorail, a debate is definitely called for. Some important aspects to be considered are:

Cost: The monorail company claims that the metro will cost Rs 180 crore to Rs 220 crore per km as opposed to Rs 45 per km for the monorail. Also, the monorail operational cost will be only 20 to 30 per cent as compared to the metro’s operational cost.

Power: Why should a powerstarved state like Karnataka prefer the metro which will require massive drawal of power? It is said that the government is considering sanction of power form the KPTCL grid to the metro at Rs 2.50 per unit on a ‘no-profit, no loss’ basis. If this is correct, can Bangalore afford the metro which will require so much power?

Demolition: The most painful part of the metro will be the demolition of old shops and residences on the route. This is apparently because of its turning radius being anything between 120 metres to 200 metres, it will involve 202 acres of land acquisition including dismantling or destruction of several residences, shops, etc. The monorail, with a turning radius of 30 metres, will not involve removal of even a single structure. The metro will go underground in places like Chickpet, Avenue Road, etc. These roads will have to be closed for a couple of years while tunnelling of the underground passage will also cause problems. The CMH Road will be destroyed aesthetically and financially.

Traffic: Metro construction will involve massive disruption of traffic for five years as huge supporting columns and track girders are put in place. Apparently, monorail construction will involve almost zero disruption of traffic. The small size of its footprint (about 1 sq m) and installation of precast columns and girders make this possible.

Time and voltage: The monorail is expected to be completed in 18 months as opposed to five years required for the metro. The monorail operates on 48 volts, the voltage at which landline telephones operate. The metro apparently operates at a very high voltage and this safety aspect has to be examined.

Capacity: The metro claims a capacity of 2,000 persons per train with a 3.5 minute headway or interval between trains. Monorail claims a capacity of 1,200 persons per train at every 1.5 minute interval. While the metro carries 35,000 persons per hour by 18 trains, the monorail would carry 48,000 persons as it would run 40 trains per hour.

Pulling capacity: The metro is supposed to have fixed pulling capacity by way of its engines pulling power allowing no flexibility in operational costs. The monorail claims that each of its coaches comes with an independent power pack so that the number of coaches can be adjusted at will to suit the available ridership with almost pro-rata reduction in operational cost.

Investment: The government’s investment will be Rs 1,850 crore by way of equity and an equal amount from the government of India, in addition to guaranteeing the loan programme of over Rs 3,000 crore. The monorail company claims that it does not require even a rupee of investment from the government.

If any facts about the metro are not entirely correct, I can only say that it’s because of the cloak of secrecy behind which the authorities have been functioning.

The right to information is law in India. The people have a right to have complete information about the metro and all its aspects and ramifications. Even a written request by a citizen, who will be affected, for a copy of the metro route has not been complied with. A visit in person to view the route map at the office was also refused by a junior officer.

Unfortunately, most of those not directly affected by the metro do not realise that a five-year project costing Rs 6,500 crores will affect them indirectly in the form of taxes, cesses, high power tariff, etc. All citizens should debate the pros and cons of the metro before it becomes a fait accompli.

(The writer is a former chief secretary of Karnataka)