Hebbal-Central Silk Board metro line under study

Hebbal-Central Silk Board metro line under study

The Hindu

Citizens in many areas feel that they have been excluded

# `Transport needs of the city should be addressed in one go'
# Decision yet to be taken to do feasibility study on the proposal

BANGALORE: The State Government is considering a proposal to provide metro rail from Hebbal to Central Silk Board on Hosur Road.

According to highly placed sources, the State Government is keen to ask Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) to take up the project under the second phase of the metro. BMRCL is at present executing the Rs. 6,400-crore first phase involving 38 km of network. It consists of two corridors - North-South and East-West - intersecting at Majestic area. One line connects Hesaraghatta Road (8th mile, Tumkur Road) to J.P. Nagar and the other Mysore Road (Amco Batteries) to Byappanahalli. Together, the two will have 32 stations.

Citizens have been pointing out that the State Government had ignored areas such as R.T. Nagar, Sanjayanagar and Hebbal located around and beyond Mehkri Circle, and those near Whitefield and Hosur Road while planning the first phase of the metro rail.

The demand came as recently as last week at a meeting at the Institution of Engineers on Ambedkar Veedhi. A speaker sought that these important areas of the city should get metro rail connectivity in the first phase itself.

He sought that mass rapid transport needs of these important areas of the city should be addressed at one go to reap full benefits of the metro.

The sources in the Government said the meeting on the city's infrastructure considered the proposal. It was felt that heavy movement of vehicles in the Hebbal-Silk Board corridor merited a metro rail at the earliest.

Sources said a decision was yet to be taken on the feasibility of the proposal. The sources said if approved, the 16-km metro rail would pass through Mehkri Circle, Cantonment Railway Station, Shivajinagar and Hosur Road.

The meeting discussed issues such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system on Ring Road (requiring creation of separate and dedicated lane for Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses).