New shops spoiling Bengaluru Metro’s design?

Bengaluru: How does one spoil the beauty of a Namma Metro station? Visit the Sriramapura Metro Station, which is part of the Green Line, and you’ll see how. Even though this Metro station has been built along the lines of all the other stations, there are several additions that have been allowed to come up.

These are: a small hotel, a book shop, a general store and other structures, which have been allowed to come up inside the station. Passengers and locals feel that by allowing these structures, Namma Metro has treated the station like any other bus terminus.

According to the locals, these structures have come up recently and have been built in different spaces available under the elevated Metro Station.

These structures are built in different areas with permanent concrete buildings. With all these additions having different colours and designs from their background design, many feel the whole Metro station is now defaced.

Shops at Malleswaram Metro station in Bengaluru (Photo: Shashidhar B.)

Traffic congestion: According to passengers, by allowing these additions, Namma Metro is adding to the traffic congestion in the vicinity. “It is always tough to cross this road. People stand on the road to catch the bus. Instead of using the available space to ease these problems, now BMRCL has added to the problem,” said Rakesh Kumar, a local resident.

According to the passengers using the Green Line Metro service on a regular basis, they were not aware when these structures had come up. “Everyone was expecting a small garden or activity area for the passengers and locals. But now suddenly new structures have come up. BMRCL would have allowed these commercial activities to improve its financial condition. But on the contrary the poor design of these structures is actually defacing the station,” says Mr. Kiran Rao, a passenger. “Recently Namma Metro had invited bids from parties to use the available space. But no one expected it to turn out like this,” he said.

Follow the MG road module: Many locals feel that Namma Metro should extend its MG Road station module to all the stations. “Instead of allowing a hotel and book shop, it should have used the space in a way, which would have brought income for the corporation and could have engaged the locals too,” says Dr. Meenakshi Bhat, a local resident and academician.

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