Protests change BMRC track

Protests change BMRC track
Bengaluru


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The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) is facing flak for not giving public opinion its due and changing the alignment of the Metro Rail where neccessary.
“BMRC is more or less like an architect and just like an architect takes the opinion of his clients, the corporation too must hold public consultations and be transparent in what it plans to do,” says city urban planning expert George Kuruvilla.

In his view, the recent protests and dharnas in the city have proved that the BMRC has failed to do its homework properly on the project.

“Parking space is the life line of any mass transportation facility like the Metro.

Had the BMRC authorities taken public opinion into consideration at Jayanagar, they could have avoided having to drop the parking lot planned there by choosing a better alignment for the rail,” he says.

Traffic advisor to the state government M.N. Srihari suggests the government call for a review meeting on the Metro Rail and consider changes in alignment wherever necessary to avoid inconvenience to the public.” “If BMRC is dropping parking lots at stations on RV Road it can incorporate changes in the Metro Rail’s alignment too,” he says.