BENGALURU: Even as Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) plans to host spas and salon at the stations, to give you a beauty makeover, Bengalureans question the Corporation’s priorities and say they would prefer pharmacy stores and ATM kiosks over fashionable makeovers at Metro stations.
BMRCL has invited tenders for spas, salons, fitness centres, tattoo studios, call centres and BPOs among other businesses . Tenders have been called for the following stations on the East-West Line: Baiyyappanahalli, Indiranagar, Trinity, M G Road, Mantri Sampige Square Road.
“First of all, they need to build restrooms for commuters with direction boards,” says Sreekanth Bhuvanindran, a business manager. Another Bengalurean questions BMRCL’s priorities. “We have high end spas, salons and fitness centres all over Indiranagar. I don’t think having them inside the station will make sense,” says Indiranagar resident Praveen S.
Ulsoor resident V Purushotham says, “Bangalore One centre, pharmacy, play school, ATMs and day care centre would go a long way”. Praveen agrees, saying that a single counter to pay all utility bills for BESCOM and BWSSB would be quite helpful.
Shashank Terence Richard too insists on favouring a pharmacy store over tattoo studio and fitness centres. “ You never know when you run out of or forget to carry your supply of life saving medicine,” he says adding that the Baiyappanahalli Metro station needs a medical store the most. “There are none around that station,” he adds. Nadnini Swaminathan, community manager at Chumbak agrees with him, saying that a store equipped with tampons and sanitary napkins would prove helpful.
Day care centres would not work for smaller stations such as Indiranagar, but could work at Baiyyappanahalli and Mantri Sampige Square Road, which are bigger stations, says Praveen.
Rajat Majitha, engineer at a Bengaluru-based firm says, “A quick, healthy breakfast place would be good too. A store that serves packed tiffins, idlis and vada pavs”. BMRCL has invited tenders for cafes too.
Praveen believes anything that does not add to congestion and adds value to commuters life should do fine. “Restaurants or eateries may not be a good idea, but outlets selling packed lunch/take aways for people going to work would be good,” he adds.
Rachit Tiwari feels BMRCL should make “big parking places instead of commercialising station spaces”. “People within 4-5 km range of the station can park their cars there and use Metro to avoid traffic,” he adds.Metro commuters Shabeer Shariff and Sadanand Shriyan request the BMRCL to host a doctor’s clinic at the station, but Praveen feels the rush at the clinic would only add to the congestion and hence, wouldn’t be favourable. Diana Barucha, resident of HAL 3rd Stage believes having a clinic at bigger stations wouldn’t be a problem. “Multinational restaurants should not be allowed as they are bad for health,” she says.Several, including Diana back the idea of having a grocery store at the Metro too. “It will save me a trip to the market after reaching home,” says Kislay Pankaj.