As Bangalore evolves and becoming more cosmopolitan and better
integrated globally, its residents too are demanding better amenities and
infrastructure within the city. A decade ago common complaint among residents
of the city was the poor infrastructure in Bangalore. Apartment
in Bangalore was a nightmare and led to a large number of unproductive
hours wasted on the streets and highways of Bangalore. Gradually the city
decided to take action leading to the construction of the recently operational
metro line in the city.
Just as the metro line has drastically changed how commuters
travel to and fro in other cities in the country, so has the metro in Bangalore
changed the lives of its residents. I would like to argue that having an
operational metro in any large urban center is no longer something to be proud
of but rather a practical necessity. The days when the construction of a new
metro line would lead to excitement are long gone, today’s practical
residents of large Indian cities no longer see the emergence of such new
developments as an indication of new found wealth or perhaps even of great
progress.
Today having such a large and convenient transport system is seen
as necessary rather than a luxury. After all no one person owns the metro, it
is not public property rather it belongs to whoever happens to be riding on it
at any given time. Of course there may be private companies which have a stake
in a publically used metro but even these are large publically traded companies
which may not necessarily have one person who is the outright owner.
The metro in Bangalore however does have certain covert advantages
for citizens of Bangalore aside from an easy commute. The metro line leads to
an appreciation in the price of property
in Bangalore at whichever neighborhood the line passes through or has a
station on. This may over time lead to the price of property in Bangalore to appreciate considerably as has been seen
in other cities and as is deliberately planned in a few others. Our cities have
grown far too large and traffic far too chaotic and undisciplined to allow for
an easy commute to and fro our workplaces. Many Indian cities would benefit
greatly by having a mass transport system and the wealth multiplier effect of
such a transport system in other cities would have far reaching implications
for generating wealth in the country.
Flats in Bangalore that fall on the metro
line may have already appreciated significantly and those which fall on the
next planned phases are expected to as well. Traveling via a metro is not only
efficient but also comfortable and often fun; the same cannot be said of
traveling by road in your car which is often something people often cringe at
the thought of. Plus when traveling by metro there is no need to look for a
place to park your car which too can be agonizing at times.
A country with a billion
plus citizens requires a large, affordable and efficient mass transport system;
it is unrealistic to assume that one day all citizens would travel in their own
vehicles. Such thinking would lead to environmental catastrophe in a country
where many of the largest cities are already among the most polluted in the
world.
No comments:
Post a Comment