Hundreds in Bengaluru came out in protest on Sunday demanding suburban rail network for the city
Hundreds in Bengaluru came out in protest on Sunday demanding a dedicated suburban train network for the city. Despite having 180 km of track and more than 40 stations, Bengaluru doesn't have commuter trains to facilitate the connectivity within the city.
The ChukuBukuBeku - a children's phrase for train - campaign saw the participation of celebrities like singer Raghu Dixit, actor Prakash Belawadi apart from students, techies and daily wage labourers. The protesters have also taken to social media to highlight their cause.
The campaigners say the city lacks proper mass transit system and suburban trains can become a reality with a very little investment. Around 25 lakh people will be able avail the facility thus decongesting the city roads.
Bengaluru, infamous for its traffic problems, has more than 60 lakh vehicles, exceeding the carrying capacity of existing road infrastructure. The city, where vehicles crawl at an average vehicle speed of 9 km in an hour, is in dire need of a long term viable solution.
The rail route is seen as an economical solution by those who had rejected the idea of an expensive steel flyover - a project that has been stayed by the National Green Tribunal.
"We can begin with investment of 200 crores. You can have 25 trains for 200-300 crores. If you spend a 1,000 crores you can give mobility to 5 lakh people," said Bengaluru-based multi-lingual actor Prakash Belawadi.
The commuter rail project found mention in the state and central budgets. But residents claim very little has moved on the ground.