The BMRCL is all set to open 13 km of the Whitefield metro line from Krishnarajapura, an extension of the purple line constructed underneath Phase II of Namma Metro.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is considering permitting companies, industrial models and IT Parks to purchase metro smart cards in bulk as a promotional exercise to increase metro ridership in future. The passes which are going to utilized by the staff of the companies will probably be co-branded with Namma Metro and the companies buying the smart cards.
The BMRCL is all set to open 13 km of the Whitefield metro line from Krishnarajapura, an extension of the purple line constructed underneath Phase II of Namma Metro. The remaining stretch of the road for two km from Baiyappanahalli to Krishnarajapura will probably be opened mid-year. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the road. The industrial operations of the road will begin from March 26.
With the opening of the brand new line, the BMRCL could have an operational metro line of 69.66 km with 63 metro stations. After Delhi Metro, Bengaluru could have the second largest operational metro community within the nation.
BMRCL Managing Director Anjum Parwez advised The Hindu that the transfer is geared toward professionals and techies working in numerous IT parks and companies to ditch their private automobiles and shift to the general public transport system. “During a meeting with Outer Ring Road Companies’ Association (ORRCA), a suggestion came from representatives of companies in this regard. We are contemplating providing smart cards in bulk to the management of the companies. They in turn provide cards to their employees for free. Whatever standard discount rate is applicable for users of smart cards at present will also be applicable to these cards.”
He added that the BMRCL will facilitate top-up or recharging of the smart cards. “It is up to the management of the companies to decide on how much top-up they want to do. They can give metro travel allowance or encourage employees to use other modes of public transport. As smart cards are transferable, when an employee resigns, the card can be used by the new employee. As of now, we held one round of meetings on this initiative. Once we finalise everything, we will reach out to the management of the companies.”
In the previous, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) too tied up with IT parks and companies to promote their Vajra AC providers by issuing month-to-month passes in bulk.
The BMRCL is estimating that opening your entire Whitefield Metro line would increase the ridership by 2.5 to 3 lakh per day. There are a number of tech parks, industrial hubs and residential areas situated alongside the road.
Under Phase II of Namma Metro challenge, the BMRCL is connecting two IT corridors within the metropolis: one is extending the purple line until Whitefield, the opposite one is constructing a brand new line from R.V. Road to Bommsandra. Under Phase III, the metro is constructing the ORR-Airport line (from Central Silk Board to Kempegowda International Airport) that additionally passes by means of an IT Corridor on Outer Ring Road.
