Namma Metro adds to traffic chaos

Namma Metro adds to traffic chaos
BY CHANDRASHEKAR G.
BENGALURU







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I Slow pace of Metro work on MG Road has commuters fuming I ‘ Work on Metro project on the MG Road stretch ‘ ‘ will be completed by June 2009
Both pedestrians and businessmen on MG Road are losing patience with the Namma Metro project, which is hobbling along, throwing traffic out of gear and keeping shoppers at bay.

Conceived to find a solution to the traffic congestion in the city, the project has so far only added to problems on MG Road, which today resembles a construction site and is a far cry from the upmarket thoroughfare of old.

“Skeletal pillars and a handful of workers have greatly inconvenienced people who use this road,” says Mr Prajesh, a businessman.

While shopkeepers and commuters are clearly fed up with the project delay, those who hang out in the restaurants and cafes here are also finding the mess on the road intolerable. “When the government is spending thousands of crores of public money it should be accountable. Delay in work leads to cost escalation and inconveniences people for a longer period,” says one such regular on MG Road. Traffic cops complain the road which has become narrow due to the ongoing work, is seeing terrible traffic jams during peak hours.

An environmentalist points out that the barricades and construction strewn around has destroyed the ambience of the nerve centre of Bengaluru.

Project engineer Narayanan Soman claims work on the MG Road stretch of the Metro will be completed by June 2009. “We are 12 months behind schedule. But we will expedite things to complete it soon,” he says.

According to him the contractor has been demanding cost escalation due to hike in prices of steel and cement and the matter was being discussed. “Of course, there was some delay initially due to the time consuming process of approving the designs and maps of the pro ject and shifting of utilities on the busy MG Road. However, 30% of the work is done and the first phase will be completed by May 2010,” Mr Soman adds.

The traffic chaos must be given priority by the government. People are spending twice as much on fuel due to the delay on the Metro rail on MG Road Sri Badrinath, Business Process Excellence Work on the Metro must be expedited. I used to reach office from home within 12 minutes. Now it takes me 45 minutes or more. Many who have offices on MG Road and surrounding areas undergo a traffic ordeal every day Venkat Garimella,Schneider Electric Although this is supposed to be a mega project, no one cares about finishing it on time.

We should make full use of the labour at our disposal and complete the work quickly. Parking on MG Road has been aggravat ing the traffic problems Manish Malhotra, businessman