Shanthinagar, the new Majestic

Shanthinagar, the new Majestic



Express News ServiceFirst Published : 20 Nov 2009 04:56:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 20 Nov 2009 06:43:51 AM IST
BANGALORE: It is some shanthi for Majestic, alright. But Shanthinagar is in for the teeming masses that Majestic has been all about.
Minister for Transport R Ashok on Thursday spelled the countdown for shifting the operations in KSRTC’s (Karnataka Road Transport Corporation) Kempegowda Bus Station to Shanthinagar station and others to facilitate the progress of metrorail work in the city.
The shift will happen in a matter of days; all preparations are ready in Shantinagar, Peenya and Balekai Mandi bus stations for accommodating the operations that are being shifted out, Ashok said. Shanthinagar bus depot on Double Road will take the major share.
Quoting the time-estimate as made by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, Ashok said that will be another “three years” before things at the Kempegowda bus station are stabilised. It is a “necessary sacrifice” to ensure the progress of metrorail work; only time will tell how it turns out, Ashok said.
Metro rail work will affect only the KSRTC side of operations in Majestic, it does not intrude on BMTC operations. BMTC may, however, see itself expanding its fleet to provide shuttle services to the operations shifted out by the KSRTC.
WHAT METRO WILL DO
An underground station is major among the metro rail works in the Majestic area. The BMRCL will be taking over a 22-acre spread of the Kempegowda Bus Station area during the work period. When work is complete about 15 acres will be returned back to KSRTC.
There will be no cause for traffic diversions or chaos at Majestic, as the work will be within the bus station limits, metro rail officials said. The tender process on the underground station is on, the schedule as to when the actual ground work will begin can be said once the process is through, it was noted.
SHANTINAGAR SCENE
Preparatory operations are already on at the Shanthinagar Sports Complex and Divisional Workshop said KSRTC officials. Senior traffic police officers, however, thought that little said is better of how things will unfold in this “critical area” providing for to and fro traffic for much of South Bangalore. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Praveen Sood said it is very well about the operations being shifted to Peenya and other areas.
Shanthinagar is a case that is “still being discussed with the KSRTC from the existing traffic point of view.” he said.