Bangalore

BMRCL

integrated transport hub

Bengaluru

KSRTC

Skywalk to connect Sandal Soap station to Yeshwanthpur bus stand

By Reya MehrotraTheMetro Rail Corporation Limited () is gearing up for anat Challaghatta that was announced in the annual Budget earlier this year and a feasibility report is being prepared for this.BMRCL spokesperson BL Yashavanth Chavan says, “After the feasibility report is prepared, tenders will be called.”In the 2019-20 budget, then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had announced integrated transport hubs in six places: Hebbal, Baiyyapanahalli, KR Puram, Challaghatta, Peenya and Kadugodi. The transport department has also initiated talks with government agencies like Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), BruhatMahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation () to acquire lands for the project. An integrated transport hub brings all forms of public transport like Metros, buses, private vehicles and even autos close together. The main aim of the transport hubs is to reduce congestion, pollution and provide ease of travel to commuters.A new station and a multilevel parking at Challaghatta, beyond Kengeri, is already under construction. BMRCL has called for a feasibility report for the ‘elevated Challaghatta yard and depot cum workshop with Inter Modal Integration Hub (IMIH)’.According to the recently released Suburban Rites report, the third corridor connects Kengeri-Whitefield (35.52 km) with four elevated stations and five underground stations will carry approximately 1.64 lakh riders. The area also has a good network of BMTC buses. With suburban rail, buses and Metro network, Challaghatta will prove to be a successful intermodal hub.The Phase-2 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project consists of four extensions to the existing lines (Green and Purple) and two new lines with a total length of 72.095 km and 61 stations (49 Elevated and 12 Underground). The Challaghatta depot will be a part of the Mysuru-Kengeri line.Namma Metro, which had received a lot of flak for not constructing skywalks/underpasses at select Metro stations, has finally decided to construct a skywalk to connect the Sandal Soap Factory station to Yeshwanthpur bus stand. BMRCL spokesperson BL Yashavanth Chavan told BM, “There will be three different FOBs - Sandal Soap Factory Metro Station to IISc with connectivity to Yeshwanthpur bus stand and another link from the Yeshwanthpur Metro Station to Yeshwanthpur Railway station (Western and eastern gates). We are preparing a feasibility report to study the function and will then call the tender and start the work. These skywalks will have different entry and exit points for accessibility to pedestrians in these areas.”“Sandal Soap Metro station is closest to the Yeshwanthpur bus stand. However, if one must travel from the Metro station, they must climb a hill (as the Tumkur road is at an elevated section due to a railway over bridge) and then walk in the narrow path to reach the Yeshwanthpur bus stand area (which is an accident-prone area). Similarly, the Metro and Yeshwanthpur railway station link has been a long pending one. A direct skywalk link will help in the seamless travel between both the stations and this will greatly benefit the commuters,” said Manjunath K, a techie residing in Yeshwanthpur area.