Delhi Metro - Things to be learnt from it

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Vasanth - 26 August, 2007 | Traffic | Bangalore | Bangalore | Complaint | public transport | Enforcement | Honking | Pollution | Supreme Court | Metro Rail

After watching the program on Discovery on Delhi Metro, I was really amazed the way in which it has been done within India and an international channel like discovery has appreciated it. Vision of one man - Shreedharan is amazing. Following are the things I felt that should be incorporated in our Bangalore Metro. 1. 1st and foremost important, enabling Physically Handicapped to travel in Train - Stations & Trains should be built for their easy movement 2. Security - After seeing Hyderabad's blasts, public crowded places are almost always on the hitlist of the terrorists - In Delhi Metro, there is lot of survillence cameras all over, commuters are checked with bomb detection equipments just like in flights and there are police walking all over in civil dress to identify suspects - These type of security should be incorporated even in Bangalore too - Bangalore has become very attractive with boom in IT - but, an attack would kill middle class or lower middle class. 3. Conservation of Heritage Buildings - Delhi Metro was constructed under Red Fort and other ancient heritage buildings of Old Delhi. Although Metro was opposed here, Delhi Metro line was laid underground and while doing the construction work, the vibrations were monitored. Old houses that were week under/nearby which Metro passes were strenghthened by DMRCL - Even in Bangalore, BMRCL track has been planned under Tippu's Summer Palace, age old Venkateshwara Temple in Market area. Also houses in Market/Balepet area under which BMRCL passes are very old with too many stairs and without a proper foundation.Hope BMRCL takes similar steps as Old Delhi. I feel that near Jayanagar, in RV Road, the line should have been diverted to parallel road which passes next to Jain Temple. It would not only save trees on RV Road,make complex nearer, but also Jayanagar Bus Stand can be used as a transport hub common to Metro and Cit Bus. 4. A single Metro system which is expected to cover near 312 KMS by 2020 and make it the second largest Metro System in the world has been planned for Delhi - Bangalore was confused by few politicians, few manufacturers and other few organizations to have BRTS / Monorail - With this we lost the focus - Currently no progress on Monorail front - BMRCL took of its hands saying that it cannot handle. No news on BRTS by BMTC. Bangalore Metro will be only 1/10th or even less of Delhi Metro. 5. Parallelization - To finish of any work, especially major projects like Bangalore Metro, parallelization is needed. In Delhi Metro, there were 5 divisions made and each had seperate chief engineers who took major decisions and the work was executed parallely in all the 5 divisons - We don't see such system in BMRCL - Only work has been started in MG Road - Nowhere else. 6. Cleanliness - First and foremost thing to make public transport attractive is cleanliness. People are of the notion that public transport in India is very unclean after having seen Railway Stations and Bus Stands where people spit on platforms, urinate many times on the track etc .. we feel public transport is very unclean. Delhi Metro is so cleanly and neatly maintained - I don't know if people of Delhi are clean or is it the system which has kept it clean. Similar to DMRCL, Bangalore Metro should be maintained clean and neat and attract commuters from all walks of life. Program on DMRCL in Discovery this Saturday was very good - It covered how Delhi Metro works from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM, the challenges they faced and appraisals from Citizen. Critics were also shown - But, it was shown as if these critics will always be there - which is true also. Any infrastructure project is full of critics - If people executing the project gives ears to these critics - they cannot move forward which is true according to me. There is one more program in NGC on Thursday at 8:00PM which again covers mainly Shreedharan + Delhi Metro. Hats off Mr.Sreedharan - People like you are needed for each state all over this country. Post your views who have seen Metro Trains in other parts of the world.


COMMENTS

Great 6 points!!

tsubba - 26 August, 2007 - 17:13

Right on the money about distraction regarding mono. Sreedharan’s vision for Metro is Delhi’s vision for Metro. Vidhan Soudha's current occupant's vision is whoever he appoint's vision for Bangalore metro. In Delhi they have retained Sreedharan right from the start and have allowed him to run. Political stability and non interference has also helped. 12 years of DMRC has seen 2 cms(1 directly elected with a 10 year term) and one DMRC head. Even if October passes smoothly and as planned, 5 years would have seen 3, 20 mo CMs(two of them with no direct mandate) and 2 metro heads with the first 20 months spent casting doubt on the project. Delhi has the double advantage of being a city state and the nation’s capital. State government has a very focused localized agenda Sheila Dixit’s main concern is Delhi. Being the capital comes with its own set of advantages. Mumbai for example inspite of its significance has not been able to make the strides that Delhi has. But these things we have to live with. tell me the interesting stuff, What would be your dream metro network for Bangalore in say 2027? PS#1: Arun, a friend of mine had similar opinion about Jayanagara. PS#2: With respect to BRTS it was to run on the eastern half of ORR. But they have no proper way of dealing with the mess at Benniganahalli.

Sad at 2nd point

Sajith - 27 August, 2007 - 04:34

You have made lots of valid points.But whats with the obsession to see IT/ITES guys getting killed in a terrorist attack.Any attack regardless of who the victims are need to be dealt with sternly. My apologise if thats not wht you meant.

What I meant to say was, Bangalore is popular for IT sector and obviously terrorist's target would be to attack this sector. But, mostly common men (mostly who are travelling in Bus) will switch over to Metro. Very few IT & ITES sectors will travel in public transport. I have seen lot of aversion of people in this sector towards using public transport. My statement was to say, although terrorists main aim will be IT, mostly middle class and lower middleclass people who predominently use public transport will become victims. I do not have any obsessesion to see IT/ITES guys getting killed. I am myself an IT professional. Whatever it may be, a strong security check is needed in metro stations and trains.

know what you mean

tsubba - 28 August, 2007 - 02:00

when they dropped prices for volvo, there were quite a few concerns about letting in "other" people amongst the volvo regulars. one of the tragedies in bangalore is that there are very few real public spaces. parks, gardens, hills, theaters, malls and shopping areas it all neatly separated. west end boys and east end girls meet only in songs. although i must say, the way they have designed the metro stations, it is meant to attract the hep crowd.


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