BENGALURU: With Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited reach extending to Kadugodi and Challaghatta and with Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC) adding more feeder buses, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is aiming at providing facilities, like good footpaths and others, to improve last-mile connectivity.
The Palike has tied up with the World Resource Institute for the draft and design of these facilities. Palike Engineer-In-Chief BS Prahallad said that BBMP has set aside Rs 90 crore for last-mile connectivity.
To give a push for the proposed concept under the ‘Namma Raste’ project, launched last month, the BBMP Project Division held a meeting with WRI officials who have proposed safe and sustainable footpath designs.
“The BBMP engineer-in-chief held a meeting in this regard on Tuesday. We have been asked to come up with a draft and design keeping safety aspects in mind. The idea is to bring more people to the Metro by walking and for that, a safe footpath design is what has been asked for. The focus will be to develop a footpath within 2 km radius of Metro stations,” said Srinivas Alavilli, Fellow, World Resource Institute.
Confirming it, Prahallad said the Palike has planned many citizen-friendly progarmmes for 2024.
“Under the National Clean Air Programme, we will take up a 100 km last-mile connectivity project. Two kilometres of perpendicular roads around Metro stations will have safe and sustainable footpaths. This is to boost Metro ridership and improve public transport, discourage people from bringing their own vehicles and eventually reduce air pollution and traffic,” said Prahallad.
Sources said the project is likely to begin from Madhavan Park in Jayanagar and will connect to Jayanagar Metro station. Once the project is completed, it will be replicated across metro stations in the city.
Sources said RR Nagar Main Road, Hoodi Main Road, Cambridge Main Road and 26 other stretches will be connected with Metro stations under the project.
Now, companies can lease BMTC feeder buses for staff
To encourage employees of private companies to travel by Metro, especially after the extension of rail services to the Whitefield suburbs, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has introduced feeder bus services on a contract basis for companies and factories.
The service was launched on January 1. The rate for permanent lease metro feeder services for 0-80 km per day for Midi buses costs Rs 4,000, ordinary buses Rs 5,000, BS VI buses Rs 6,000, Volvo buses Rs 8,000 and electric buses Rs 9,000 (9 metre) and Rs 12,000 (12 metre).
For distances above 80 km, the prices will be calculated per km basis, said a release from BMTC on Tuesday.