MetroThe best solution for Bangalore ?

Kolkata metro – the verdict

Chief Operations Manager, Kolkata Metro Railway,said this in 2005.

“Where the gross annual income of the Metro is roughly Rs.48 crores, its maintenance cost is a whopping Rs.125 crores.”

“The Metro was designed to decongest the city's roads. I am afraid it has not been able to do that.”

“Even during peak periods, the capacity utilisation of the trains has been around 70 per cent, and only 40 per cent in the early mornings.”

“Unfortunately for the Metro, it has to compete with cheaper modes of public transport such as buses and trams. “

Delhi metro – the present

70 km. total length.

Capacity 20 Lakh people per day.Actually carrying 8 Lakh.

Cost Rs. 10,500 Cr., Rs. 175 Cr / km.

Making half its revenue and all its profits from renting land.2005-6 : Operations : Revenue Rs. 113 Cr. Land rental : Revenue Rs. 296 Cr.

2006-7 : Operations : Revenue Rs. 244 Cr. , Loss Rs. 25 Cr. Land rental : Revenue Rs. 289 Cr. , Profit (PBT) Rs. 27 Cr.

2007-8 : Operations : Revenue Rs. 305 Cr. , Loss Rs. 16 Cr. Land rental : Revenue Rs. 183 Cr. , Profit (PBT) Rs. 17 Cr.

Only 5 % of Bangalorewill use the Metro in 2012

You will use the Metro only if you are within 2 km. of a station. That means only people in this area will use it.

Will take 50 to 100 yearsFor city-wide coverage

London underground400 km., 11 lines268 stationsPhase 1 - 150 years ago (1863)

London and BangaloreSimilar area, population

Bangalore Metro33 km., 22 lines35 stationsPhase 1 - from 2012 (?)

We need city-wide coverage for the Metro to be useful.At the rate of 30 km. every five years, it will take 70 years to build 400 km.It took more than 100 years in London, New York, Paris, Moscow, Madrid.

Will cost Rs. 100000 Cr.For city-wide coverage

Assuming 400 km. of over-ground lines(33 km. is costing us Rs. 9000 Cr.)

How will we recover this investment ?

Almost 50 % of of Delhi Metro's revenue, and all its profit, comes from hiring out real estate.

This means a lot of us are going to surrender our homes and businesses, and we Bangaloreans are going to surrender our parks, heritage buildings, and heritage streets to the Metro so that it can rent this land out and balance its losses from operations.

2007 2011Artist’s impression of Metro station at same location. Courtesy Deccan Herald.

Will destroy Bangalore

MG Road

We are building an overground Metro to keep the economic cost low. What about the environmental cost ?

Will you even want to live in the concrete jungle that Bangalore will become ?

Questions that we should be asking,but are not

Usefulness1. Why is it that people in Delhi say “The Metro is very clean and well maintained” but nobody says “The Metro has solved Delhi's traffic problem”.

2. If the Metro has solved Delhi's traffic problem, why is Delhi looking again at the bus as the solution ?

3. Why is it the same story in Kolkata ?

4. Why are only 8 lakh people using it, when the projected number was 20 Lakh ?

Time1. Are we willing to wait 50-100 years for the traffic problem to be resolved ?

2. There will be continuous construction for the next 50-100 years. For the rest of our lifetime, are we willing to suffer this disruption in our lives ?

3. Are we building it for ourselves, or for the next generation ?

4. If we are doing it for the next generation, did we take their permission to destroy their city and environment ?

Questions that we should be asking,but are not

Economic viability1. Delhi Metro's profits come from hiring out real estate. Is this Bangalore Metro's business model ?

2. Are we going to lose a whole lot of homes, businesses, parks and heritage buidlings for this extra real estate ?

3. Does it make sense to build an overground Metro because an underground one would cost twice the amount of money, even though the former will destroy the city ?

Questions that we should be asking,but are not

Are there better alternatives ?

1. Why are far more cities worldwide building bus systems in preference to metro rail systems ?

2. Why is it that they are in countries that are far wealthier than us ?

3. Why are Indian cities like Delhi, Pune, Indore and Ahmedabad are building bus systems ?

4. Are we opting for the Metro for some nonsensical reason like buses are not 'posh', and do not suit a 'world-class city' like Bangalore ?

5. Why a Metro, when our existing bus system can be improved to give us a good solutionin 2 % of the time, at 5 % of the cost of the Metro ?

Questions that we should be asking,but are not

How come these cities have or are building a bus based system ?India - Delhi, Ahmedabad, Indore, PuneCanada - Ottawa, Vancouver. Peru - LimaUSA - Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Eugene, Hartford, Honolulu, San Juan, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Pablo, Louisville, Montgomery, PittsburghBrazil - Curitiba, Sao Paulo, Goiania, Proto Allegre. Ecuador – Quito. Colombia - BogotaIndonesia – Jakarta. UK - Bradford, Leeds. Australia - Adelaide, BrisbaneChina - Kunming, Fuzhou, Huangzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenyang, Chengdu

Most of them are richer than us, and they thought that they could not afford the money, time and environmental destruction of the Metro.

How come the buses in these cities carry more people than the metros ?Singapore : Metro - 12 Lakh passenger trips /day, Bus – 30 LakhBangkok : Metro - 2 Lakh passenger trips /day, Bus – 50 Lakh

The big question we should be asking

Is the Metro really a good solution for us, or are we being taken for a ride ?

If the latter, should we ask some tough questions before embarking on Phase 2 of the Metro ?