Cackle of voices may make Metro a non-starter

Elevated plans go underground
Metro Rail or monorail or inter-modal rail or ELRTS? Traffic jam — no decision, only furious debate. Add JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda's speed-breaker on Metro Rail. When will the red signal turn green?
The Times of India

ELRTS — circuitous route, steep fares Bangalore: With the debate raging on Metro Rail versus monorail, can one 'elevate' the Elevated Light Rail Transit System for Bangalore? While there are calls to examine this possibility, one has to remember that the Karnataka government rejected the project because it was proved that it would be least effective, would require wide roads and would take a circuitous route.

Experts in the knowhow of what rail systems would work for a city like Bangalore told The Times of India that any system which is not viable for the commuter cannot be even thought of.

Since the project will necessarily have to be built on a circuitous route, the fares will also be exorbitant. For example, if an ELRTS system has to be built between Vijayanagar and Indiranagar, the system will have to go via West Of Chord Road and come on a very circuitous route of 30 km. The fare as proposed by the ELRTS promoters was Rs 2.50 per km, which makes the fare to travel between Vijayanagar and Indiranagar Rs 75. This is almost on par with an auto fare or even more than that.

Also, the entire city will be criss-crossed with elevated routes and it has to go on the centre of the road, a Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Limited (BMRTL) official said. "Nobody will travel on such long-winded routes and the system will not be like the Metro Rail which has an advantage since it can go underground and will be the shortest distance as far as the commuter is concerned.''

Said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation study: The total North-South and East-West corridor for the Metro Rail will be only 33 km in Phase-I compared with an ELRTS proposal of 30 km to connect Vijayanagar and Indiranagar. Any transportation system which cannot go through the business district will not yield a clientele. "If the system cannot pass through the Vidhana Soudha and High Court routes, how can it be effective? A large number of government staff will be
among the users of a rail transportation system,'' it said. Also, an ELRTS system cannot be expanded because its movement of traffic is limited. Compare it with the cost of building a Metro Rail and it is comparable as far as the civil cost goes. While admitting that an underground system will be costlier, an official said that it is the only way a system can cut across as the crow flies.

It is only because of the non-viability that the project failed to take off in 1994 and the promoters realising the dynamics backed out. An ELRTS system has a peak hour peak direction traffic (phpdt) of 20,000 to 30,000, whereas the Metro Rail has a phpdt of 20,000 to 80,000.

‘Metro Rail may not suit Bangalore’

How about a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) or High Capacity Bus System (HCBS) for Bangalore?

Geetam Tiwari, an associate professor for transportation planning at IIT-Delhi, on Thursday gave a presentation on 'Urban transport: road transit and emerging technology' explaining the possibility of BRTS for Bangalore.

Putting at rest the claims of Metro Rail on easing traffic, Tiwari explained, "Indian cities need change in road design. Metro Rail technology is good for people going on long trips, like in Mumbai. By incorporating change in the road pattern and bringing in high-efficiency buses, the traffic congestion can be eased and pollution level can also be brought down."
"To improve the public transport system, introducing of segregated bus ways, bicycle lanes, two-wheeler lanes and walking lanes on the road can work wonders without much cost,'' she said quoting examples.