With phase 1 of the Metro Rail fully operational and phase 2 in progress, four lakh commuters are already using the service. This makes last mile connectivity either by bus, auto or the park- and -ride Metro facility crucial.
If the Metro wants to improve its ridership, it will have to provide space for parking of people’s vehicles, bus bays, and auto / taxi stands. Paid parking at Metro stations and charging stations for e-vehicles will also increase its ridership, reduce private vehicles on roads, and increase non- fare revenue.
Unfortunately, very few Metro stations in Bengaluru have these facilities. The BMRCL should plan for adequate paid parking lots at every Metro station by making them part of the station design. Smart card holders of the Metro service and women commuters should get a discount on parking charges and commuters should be able to get online information on the availability of parking lots through mobile apps. Parking charges for Metro commuters should also be reasonable to make the total travel cost attractive.
The BMRCL needs to proactively work out solutions for paid parking lots and not delay things as it has done in providing a parking lot at the Baiyyappanhalli Metro station.
As a suburban rail in the city could see 20 to 25 lakh users, the Metro should work for close integration with it and allow for efficient change-over to it. The BMRCL needs to work closely with the Indian Railways to integrate the suburban rail with its services by providing a single unified smart travel card and establishing multi -level parking facilities at its major stations.
Both the state government and the railways need to fast- track the suburban rail and bring much needed relief from the congestion on the roads to the people of Bengaluru. A small investment in this project will give commuters multiple options of travelling by public transport around the city. Together with the Metro , a suburban rail could greatly help the long suffering commuters of the city.
