Officials unclear over time frame for the project
A proposal to build a skywalk to connect the Yeshwantpur railway and metro stations appears to be gathering dust with officials unclear over when it will be constructed.
The skywalk will provide seamless access to passengers from the railway station to the metro station and vice-versa, akin to the one in Byappanahalli.
Though the Green Line of the metro between Swastik and Peenya was launched two months back, there has been no news of the proposed skywalk. As a result, passengers have to cross the road to access either station.
While this is not much of an issue for the average passenger, some commuters complain that it is difficult for the elderly and children.
Pradeep Singh Kharola, managing director, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL), said they were in talks with South Western Railway (SWR) over the project and were chalking out details. He said they would take up the construction as soon as possible.
Anil Kumar Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore Division, SWR, said the SWR had no objection over the proposed skywalk.
However, he added that it was up to the BMRCL to build it as they were funding it.
“A skywalk connecting the railway station with the metro station, like in Byappanahalli, is the simplest thing to do. Now we have to exit one station and walk up the other. It has rendered the services not user-friendly and is particularly taxing for children and elders,” said Sukumar G., a commuter.
Entry gate closed
Meanwhile, one of the entry gates to the Yeshwantpur metro station has been shut, which means passengers have to walk to another entrance to access the escalator and steps of the station.
One official said this was because the traffic on the metro was still low and keeping the entry gate open would mean having to install an X-ray machine and ensure two security guards. Since the traffic was low, it was not viable to keep it open at present.
Another official said the gate was being used earlier and was shut as it is near the pre-paid auto stand and a few drivers created a ruckus a few nights ago.
Whether this had anything to do with access to the metro is not clear. However, Manjunath Kumar, an auto driver, said, “After the metro came up, most commuters don’t hire autos to destinations along the metro route and this has hampered our business.”
B.L.Y. Chavan, general manager (Operation), BMRCL, said the entry gate was closed only temporarily and once all reaches are opened and traffic on the metro increases, it would be put to use.
He said there was another entrance that was equipped with an escalator just 200 metres away and they had opened that entrance where commuters had better facilities.
