Days after the Metro Rail services on the Purple Line became fully operational here, Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday launched feeder bus services between the Metro stations and key stops on Outer Ring Road to facilitate last mile connectivity and reduce traffic congestion. As many as 35 feeder buses were flagged off by Reddy from KR Pura Metro station.
The Minister said as of now 35 feeder buses have been provided to ensure connectivity along the new sections of Purple Line that became operational from Monday. During peak hours, bus services will be available every five minutes and during non-peak hours, the facility will be available every eight minutes.
Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has launched feeder bus services on two major routes starting at KR Pura Metro station. This will benefit the commuters in the tech corridor of Outer Ring Road.
According to BMTC, the first route is from KR Pura Metro station to Central Silk Board via Mahadevapura, Marathahalli bridge. The second route involves service from-and-to KR Pura Metro station via Marathahalli, Kundalahalli, ITPL and Garudacharpalya.
It has also introduced another route connecting Kadugodi to Kadugodi via Hope Farm, ITPL, Graphite India, AECS Layout gate, and another route from Kadugodi to Marathahalli via Hope Farm, Varthur Kodi and Siddapura.
“If you don’t give connectivity, people will have to come by their own vehicles to the Metro station, they will have to come by auto or taxi. That will cause pollution and further add to traffic congestion. That’s why we provided connectivity to around seven-eight km of Purple Line,” Reddy told PTI while taking a ride in the newly launched bus feeder service from KR Pura Metro station.
Encouraging commuters to use public transport, he said, “For now, we have provided 35 buses. We will watch how the services are being used by the public and based on that if some more buses are required, we will do the needful.”
Employees of various tech firms who took the feeder bus services from the metro station said this has come as a huge relief for them. They can now travel smoothly without being stuck in jams and can reach their respective destinations faster without any inconvenience.
Dayna, a commuter who has been a regular on Outer Ring Road for the last 15 years, said, “I have seen how this area developed and I have seen the importance of this feeder line today. It is a big achievement. It is a big step towards what we call it as Silicon Valley city Bengaluru.”
Another commuter, Shailesh Yadav said his company is located in Whitefield and with this KR Pura Metro service now being operational, commuting has become much easier for him.
“KR Pura Metro service has started, it’s a huge respite. Usually, work is not a challenge but commuting is a challenge for us. If you go in a car, it takes around two hours to reach your company. Then there’s traffic. Now that feeder buses have also been provided, the problem with last mile connectivity is also sorted. It is a great help. We can reach our destination much faster without any inconvenience. Plus time is saved and that time can be utilised in doing other things,” he said.
Kalpana Kataria, Executive Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said, “I find this is wonderful for the city of Bengaluru. People can travel from Challaghatta to Whitefield straight without changing any line in 82 minutes and the fare is also Rs 60 which is cheap. It’s a comfortable ride. People who want to go to Outer Ring Road can at present get down at KR Pura and take the feeder buses that have been started by the BMTC. We have signed an MoU with BMTC under which we have decided to work together. BMTC will be providing the first mile and last mile connectivity for BMRCL.”
Meanwhile, BMTC Managing Director, Sathyavathi G who also took the bus ride told PTI, BMTC plays a crucial role in encouraging commuters to use public transport. With the new feeder buses being flagged off by the Minister, there will be around 314 bus trips to cover KP Pura, Central Silk Board and Outer Ring Road, Kundalahalli and other places.
“It is very important that commuters don’t have to use their two-wheelers and private cars which will also help in reducing Bengaluru traffic. It is also very safe to use public transport,” she said.
