Bengaluru, 4 Nov

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya posed 10 questions to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on the proposed tunnel road project on Tuesday. The MP has been spearheading the BJP’s opposition against the project.

In an open letter, he noted that two wheelers and autos are not allowed on proposed road.

“Is the tunnel meant only for cars and those who can afford the Rs 660 two-way toll?” he wrote.

He said that as of August end, private cars constituted only 19 per cent of the total vehicles in the City.

“Should the State’s policies focus on catering to this small percentage or to the larger commuting population?” he asked.

Studies by IISc have said the tunnel road is estimated to carry only 1,800 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD), while the Metro carries around 69,000 PPHPD, he said.

“What, then, is the rationale behind prioritising a project with 40 times lower efficiency than the Metro?” Surya wrote.

The MP noted that the Detailed Project Report of the tunnel road itself mentions 22 choke points.

“Does this not defeat the very purpose of building the tunnel?” he blasted.

He noted that the tunnel was set to pass under key environmental hotspots such as Lalbagh and Hebbal Lake.

“Why has no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study been conducted?” he fumed.

He asked what measures had been taken to address concerns raised by Urban Development Department of the State Government including a lack of studies and soil data.

Additionally, Surya noted that the DPR itself said that the road would save only 13 minutes in 2031.

“Given that vehicle ownership is increasing every year, travel time is expected to increase. What, then, is the basis of the claim?” he questioned.

He also questioned whether the timeline of 50 months would be met and questioned how the project was feasible in terms of cost when the Yellow Line Metro was built Rs 7,610 crore – roughly the same cost of the tunnel road.

Finally, he asked why the tunnel road would be increasing the distance between the two points it connected.

Tejasvi finds flaw in Metro fare hike

Tejasvi Surya also raised concerns regarding the “exorbitant” fare hike by the BMRCL.

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had hiked the fare in February by almost 125 per cent and revised it after receiving a severe backlash a week after the increase.

Surya pointed out “a major calculation error” in determining the base year for maintenance and administrative costs, which forms the foundation of the Fare Fixation Committee’s report.

"Instead of considering the Maintenance and Administration cost of 2017-18, the BMRCL, while requesting for the hike before the FFC, calculated the M&A Cost pertaining to 2016-17," Surya said in a statement.

This incorrect computation has led to an unjustified increase in fares, resulting in commuters paying an estimated Rs 150 crore in excess since the fare revision, he claimed.

"Even though the average fare increase remained 51.5 per cent, the most common journeys undertaken by commuters (falling in the 8-15 km slab) have seen an unjustified hike close to 70 per cent," the MP stated.