Harried commuters using the Outer Ring Road, to travel to and from the IT and ITes companies situated between Central Silk Board and KR Puram, have jumped at the government's proposal to build a metro line to cover the stretch. In what is going to be one of the largest privately-funded projects the state has seen, industry captains have come forward to help with the costs to get Namma Metro zipping along the ORR.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah recently cleared a proposal to have an exclusive metro line connecting Silk Board and KR Puram. Planned under the "innovative funding technique" (similar to a PPP model), the Rs3,600-crore project will traverse 18-km -- Silk Board, HSR Layout, Agara junction, Kaadubeesanahalli, Marathahalli junction, ISRO, Mahadevapura and KR Puram. The project -- which is to be fast-tracked and be independent of Metro Phase I or Phase II -- has captured the imagination of tech company honchos, who have volunteered to contribute up to Rs2,000 crore to the project.
Prior to the CM's announcement, industry representatives, along with Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) members, held a meeting with industries minister RV Deshpande and voiced their commitment to financially supporting the project.
Last Sunday, a few days after the CM's announcement, Namma Metro's managing director, Pradeep Singh Kharola, along with his engineers and a few company CEOs, conducted a preliminary survey along the route and identified key points. Though the project is scheduled to be constructed in two years, this cannot be taken at face value, considering the delays to Phase 1.
The new line will have an added advantage: Stations at KR Puram and Silk Board will act as interchanges, as they are a part of Metro extensions planned in Phase II. KR Puram is a part of the 15.5-km line between Baiappanahalli and Whitefield, and Silk Board falls in the 18-km stretch planned between RV Road and Bommasandra.
"Two senior members of the ORRCA governance team attended the meeting where the PPP model for the exclusive metro line to ORR was discussed. The industry has committed to fund the project only because the government has assured that it will be fast-tracked. Also, to keep it fast-paced, a committee will be formed comprising industry representatives and officials, whereonce in a fortnight, the work will be reviewed. Once the project kicks-off, depending on the model, we may have developers and investors also pitching in funds and this line can be made operational on a Build Operate Transfer [BOT] basis,'' says ORRCA honorary president Poornapragna GA.
In recent years, travelling on the ORR has become a nightmare for commuters. The worst-affected are those working in Whitefield, ORR, and the Sarjapur area, which sees around four lakh people employed in nearly 1,000 companies.
Deteriorating infrastructure and the government's apathy has not cut ice with companies who were seriously contemplating not renewing their building leases and moving campuses to other "saner" areas where the employees didn't have to suffer hours on the road. According to industry sources, several companies' rental leases are going to end in the next 12 to 18 months.
With the government's metro commitment, the companies are rethinking their exit.
However, according to V Ravichandar, a member of Bengaluru Vision Group -- who made these points in a comprehensive presentation to the government on ORR woes last November -- the reality is that the metro is a long-term solution. In the short-term, what is needed is a state-of-the-art upgradation in road infrastructure.
"We have to work on upgrading the road quality, pavements, and bus integration with the metro. For short-term relief, what is required is to fully develop the stretch between Sarjapur road and Marathahalli, from boundary line to boundary line. We have to reimagine pavements, traffic islands, service roads, etc. If visible road improvements are not apparent, we run the risk of companies not renewing their rental leases. Due to the increase in travel time, there is a loss in productivity.
If companies move out of campuses, new tenants will refuse to come in at old rentals, and will negotiate lower rates," Ravichandar told Bangalore Mirror.
In Ecospace, which has around 65,000 employees, it takes 30 minutes to exit. Capgemini, which has six offices in Whitefield and ORR with 28,000 employees, has been speaking out about its plans to look for other locations.
Most stressed areas are Whitefield and the Marathahalli-Sarjapur road area, where around 50,000 to 70,000 employees work. Even if you take 50,000 vehicles entering and exiting campuses, which have only one entry and exit point, it's a mess.
All will now wait to see if the metro can meet deadlines, and till that time, if companies on the ORR will have the patience to wait.
The big players
Manyata Tech Park, owned by Embassy on Hebbal-Nagawara ORR, has 9 million sqft building space and 90,000 employees
Bagmane tech park, developed by Bagmane Group in CV Raman Nagar, covers a sprawling 52 acres with a total built up space of six million sqft it has the option for future expansion
Ecospace Business Park owned by RMZ, on Sarjapur ORR has two million sqft of space across 24.5 acres.
