Commerce over public good? BMRCL opts for shopping area instead of parking for metro riders

Rather than providing space for parking vehicles to aid commuters, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is building a two-storey commercial space below the viaduct in Indiranagar.

The building coming up in the vacant space will accommodate 25 shops, disregarding regulations.

During the visit to the site, DH observed that the construction of the two-storey building was almost finished. The setback rules were not followed, and the second floor was positioned too close to the viaduct, potentially compromising safety and hindering maintenance work due to the limited access.

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It was shocking to note that the construction was undertaken by the government entity, the BMRCL. In an attempt to accommodate as many retail stores as possible, they opened entries on multiple sides, which is generally against the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) rules. The rooftop of the building is covered with metal sheets.

Ask any metro passenger, local trader, and resident, and they would say that the vacant land should have been utilised for parking infrastructure since the Indiranagar metro station lacks sufficient parking facilities, beside the space provided by the BBMP next to the main road.

Traders anticipate increased footfall at the Indiranagar metro station, especially after the completion of the Whitefield connectivity.

"Currently, the only parking option available is at the Swami Vivekananda metro station, but that won't be sufficient in the future,” one trader said. “The BMRCL should have used the vacant land to create a parking facility for two-wheelers in the interest of commuters. Now, metro users are parking their vehicles and blocking residential roads."

Old proposal: BMRCL 

Anjum Parvez, managing director of BMRCL, said the building construction proposal was approved before he assumed office. "I ensured that the building plan is modified to make sure the maintenance of the viaduct is not hampered,” he said. "Generally, we do not take up such a structure. It was an old proposal.”

A resident of Indiranagar, Sneha Nandihal, urged the BMRCL to immediately abandon the project. She suggested that the vacant land could be transformed into a public space or a parking lot. "What the BMRCL is currently doing is not right. It will only contribute to the chaos. The retail space near the junction will create a mess," she said. 

It is unclear whether the BMRCL obtained approval from the BBMP before initiating the work.