No, Mono isn't dead yet
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Written By silkboard - 8 July, 2007
Traffic
Bangalore
Metro Rail
It might be the one legged cousin of super glamorous Metro. But the Mono project isn't dead if you thought so based on recent lack of news and updates on it. The Hindu reported that BMRC is close to making the call on picking a consultant for Mono. As expected, newspapers have more meat than BMRC website itself. However, BMRC has this cryptic sounding note on their news page right now:
"THE SELECTION OF THE MONORAIL CONSULTANT IS STILL UNDER PROCESS. THE LETTERS WHICH HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE WEBSITE ARE HEREBY WITHDRAWN. INCONVENIENCE REGRETTED."
Wonder what had happened there! Did they announce a winner and then withdraw it? Hope not.
Meanwhile, to remind you of the Mono routes:
1) Kanakapura Road to Mysore Road Junction with a T connection from Kathriguppe to National College.
2) Bannerghatta National Park to Adugodi.
3) Jnanabharathi to Mysore Road (Outer Ring Road) with a T connection to Toll Gate on Magadi Road.
4) Tumkur Road on Outer Ring Road to Bellary Road
I am not sure I saw an explanation anywhere of why we need two different mass rapid transport systems(metro and mono) in Bangalore.
Why can't the Metro be extended to all the areas where the Monorail is supposed to ply instead of having two separate solutions. I believe in Delhi they are planning to extend the metro network.
The problems that I see with two different systems are:
1. Inconvenience for passengers having to change the mode of transport to continue their journey. The journey could have been seamless. For e.g to go from Jnanbharathi to the city centre, the passenger would have to change mode of transport @ Mysore Road.
2. Different systems, different problems. Different experts and consultants. More expensive to maintain two systems instead of one.
3. Monorail like all elevated roads(flyovers) will be ugly and make the city an eyesore. I love the subway system in New York where the only hint of a mass rapid transport system being nearby(or underground) is the presence of a staircase for entry into the subway station.
On that note why is not the whole Metro network underground ? Additional construction costs I suppose. But then it would have spared the efforts and cost and headache of property acquisition to accomodate the metro corridor.
Hello Visitor,
excellent points on multi modal issues. Will get back.
Please register(free) so that we can have focussed discussions, and so that your discussions can be credited to you.
thanks.
tarlesubba.
I was expecting to be prompted for an username when I made the above post. Too late by the time I realized that the post was done :)
In continuation of my previous post, is there precedent in any city where they have adopted two parallel modes of RTS beginning construction of the same time ?
Hi mii2,
To answer your last question first, I guess Osaka, Japan has both monorail and metro type system.
Basically, Osaka metro system is a grid like network that is about 130 kms, and the mono connects the airport to the rest of the metro network through basically a single arc of about 20kms, that passes through various metro stations.
But you should notice that they have not allowed mono to distract them, its one line whose main aim is connectivity to the airport. monos can handle ~1 lakh people/day. osaka airport handles about 20 mill people/year.
for public transit in the rest of the city it is seamlessly through metro only.
(they have bus systems too)
i think what happened was that they have only shortlisted the consultants and have not yet picked one. (financial bids khule nahi hein).
need to dig up the RFQ docs to see what it is these consultants will do. I guess they will select the appropriate 'technology'. Like metrail untested tech or established mitsubishi solutions. But it is not clear if they will also do the route picking.
What is the time frame for them to do all this?
After they do that, then prolly will come the selection of actual concessionaires. Then after about 18-24 months of that we will get mono.
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