Why we need the Metro?

Why we need the Metro?
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The number of vehicles in the city is increasing by nearly a thousand a day. At this rate, within next few years, roads in Bangalore will have little space for free movement of vehicles.

An inadequate public transport system and easy loans are adding to the rise in vehicle numbers. On record, the city now has 23 lakh vehicles.

But there is a ray of hope. If one goes by the Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Limited’s (BMRC) claims, the much-delayed Metrorail can be an answer to the chaos on roads.

A recent survey by the government agency shows that the new system will help restrict the growth of private vehicles, especially two-wheelers and three-wheelers. It is also expected to reduce fuel consumption and save nearly Rs 1,000 crore a year.

The survey says without the Metro, the City will have around 24 lakh two-wheelers and 1.5 lakh three-wheelers in 2011. And with the Metro on tracks, the number is expected to be restricted to 17 lakh and 1.25 lakh respectively.

About 50 per cent of two-wheeler and three-wheeler users have expressed their desire to shift to the Metro, the report said.

Limiting the growth of vehicles will go a long way in improving the traffic situation. As of now, the volume on many busy roads is much more than they can handle and further addition will only worsen their situation.

That apart, the project will also help reduce air and noise pollution which have already reached alarming levels. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board monitor pollution levels at many places.

Results have shown that pollutants like suspended particulate matter (SPM), respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), and oxides of nitrogen and sulphur are all above permissible limits.

However, critics of the project point out that the Metro will not make much difference as the 33 km project will cater to just a few parts of the City. People in a majority of areas will continue to use private vehicles, they say.