With 43 days left from February 16 to March 31, the ,metro must run 58km every day to complete the required distance.
Will Bangaloreans be able to celebrate Ugadi with a ride on Namma Metro? Yes, says home and transport minister R Ashok. And Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) managing director N Sivasailam, too, is confident of the ride on April 4.
But the BMRCL has a bumpy ride ahead. Many safety procedures regarding the metro are yet to be fulfilled. The Metro Act of the Commission for Railway Safety Regulations insists for a trial run of 2,500km before operations can begin.
With 43 days left from February 16 to March 31, the ,metro must run 58km every day to complete the required distance.
The Reach One is only 7.2km long. It means the metro will have to make four round trips every day to complete the target.
Though the Commission for Railways Safety has been entrusted to monitor the trial runs, the BMRCL is yet to contact it. “The metro is a new mode of transport. So we require more time to finalise the safety aspects,” says KJS Naidu, commissioner of railway safety, south division. The BMRCL is yet to fix the metro track after the first trial run on January 23. It had said the second track too will be finalised before further trial runs.
The BMRCL chief spokesperson BLY Chavan admits there are many technical aspects it has to look in to during the trial. “The number of trial runs depends on the day and the kind of test that will be carried out on the traction system,” said Chavan.
As of now the BMRCL is not saying when it will resume the trial. The only response is “soon.”
Despite the air of uncertainty, Sivasailam remains an optimist. He insists that the entire project will be completed in 2013. “Delhi metro took five and half years to complete the 8km first phase. We have completed the first phase in four and half years.” On Tuesday, an MoU was signed between the BMRCL and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) regarding the Metro Bus Transit (MBT) pass at Vidhana Soudha.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}