Metro vs. Bus

Efficiency

Cost

Rs. 40 Cr. – 100 Cr. / km. Rs. 60 Cr. – 160 Cr. / km. Rs. 160 Cr. – 240 Cr. / km. Rs. 200 Cr. – 400 Cr. / km. Rs. 200 Cr. – 1200 Cr. / km. Rs. 2 Cr. – 60 Cr. / km.

Time to build

Flexibility

Bogota, Columbia

42 stations closed in London underground Reasons Built too near stations to be useful Too little used to justify keeping them open Lines are rerouted

Aesthetics

Metro vs. bus in some cities

Bus transport – how it has evolved

Namma Metro – the problems

Kolkata metro – the verdict Chaturvedi, Chief Operations Manager, Kolkata Metro Railway. Has this to say 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 Capacity 20 Lakh people per day. Actually carrying 6 Lakh. Cost Rs. 10,500 Cr. for 70 km. Rs. 175 Cr / km. 2004-5 loss : Rs. 76 Cr. 2005-6 : Rs. 296 from property leasing, Rs. 113 Cr. from train operation. 2006-7 : Revenue Rs. 542 Cr. Profit Rs. 23.5 C. mainly from lease rentals and property development. Get subsidized or free land, make money on property development.

Connectivity Why would anyone travel 5 km. to get to a Metro station ?

Time Planned for Phase 1: 2011. Actual : 2015 ? Cost Rs. 6400 Cr. for 33 km. Elevated : Rs. 160 Cr. / km. Underground : Rs. 350 Cr. / km. Includes property acquisition, excalation, interest during constrctuin, etc. Indore BRT : 2010 Indore BRT : Rs. 870 Cr. for 120 km. by 2010

MG Road, 2007 MG Road, 2011 Artist’s impression of Metro station at same location. Courtesy Deccan Herald. Businesses on MG Rd. and any other road on which the Metro travels will be ruined.

Population : 77 Lakh Area : 1570 sq. km. London vs. Bangalore Metro Underground 400 km. 11 lines 268 stations Began operation 1863 London and Bangalore Same area, same population London has 400 km. of lines We hope to achieve the same thing with 33 km. of lines

Bangalore is comparable to Bogota in size and population Bogota opted for the BRT. It has proven to be very successful. Even though Bogota’s per capita income is 4 times Bangalore’s, they felt that the Metro was costly for them. Bogota Per capita income Rs. 1.7 Lakh. Population : 82 Lakhs Area : 740 sq. km. Bangalore Per capita income Rs. 49,000 Population : 77 Lakhs Area : 1600 sq. km.

The Metro is a bad decision It has not worked in Delhi and Kolkata It is a failure in many cities around the world. While it is getting done in Bangalore Some of the key roads are going to be blocked. Traffic is going to be hell. It is supposed to take 3 more years. We can safely assume that it will take 6 more years. After it is done The traffic jams and pollution will remain. The city’s aesthetics will be ruined. Commuting will still be a nightmare. Just like in Delhi and Kolkata. A good bus system is a better option.

Who are the losers ? The public Still battling traffic jams, breathing polluted air, living with higher temperatures The tourism industry Tourist traffic drops. Hotels Tourist and business traffic drops. Industries Productivity remains low. Shops and businesses Tourist and business traffic drops. Police Still working killing hours, inhaling polluted air Government Subsidizing a useless white-elephant transport system.

The way forward

CMH Rd. Assn. is now recommending realigning of Metro line.

This is CMH Road’s fight. Nobody else is bothered about the issue.

Common comments:

Rich shop owners on CMH Road are protesting the issue. Prolonging the Metro project which is good for Bangalore.

Only tenants of shops are protesting. Owners are happy with compensation because they get a very low rent.

Get the whole of Bangalore involved in the problem.

Be part of or start a movement against the Metro itself. Serves the same purpose.

A lot of areas are going to be affected, not just CMH Road.

Dig up data on larger effect on city:

How various interest groups are going to be affected.

How life is going to be hell for the next 10 years.

How problem will remain even after Metro.

Effect on government’s finances because of permanent losses.

Effect on green cover, heritage.

Any court action can have alternate suggestions, expert opinion, failure of Metro projects, successes of Bus systems.

Objections The Metro is too far advanced. It cannot be stopped at this stage. Much larger projects have been stopped. Nothing much has been done anyway on Metro project. If the public is convinced that it is useless, the government will have to look at alternatives. It will delay the solution to the traffic problem Bus system can be implemented much faster. Will get fully done in 2 years. Bus system is in phases. You can see improvements every month. Metro will involve total disruption of city for 7 more years, then sudden benefit (?). E.g., each month add 500 buses, will displace 30000 cars / 2 wheelers