Bengaluru Metro to enable private firms to recharge employees' smart cards

Bengaluru Metro's Common Mobility Card

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is collaborating with corporate firms to facilitate bulk pass issuance for employees.

Speaking during a panel discussion titled 'Bengaluru: ready for a transformational mobility shift?' organised by NGO Bangalore Political Action Committee on September 29, Kalpana Kataria, executive director (last mile connectivity and asset management) at BMRCL, said: “We are developing a platform that allows corporates to purchase bulk tickets for their employees, enabling them to use the Metro for their daily office commute."

Kataria further noted that with the entire Whitefield – Challaghatta corridor (Purple Line) operational, daily ridership is expected to increase from 6.3 lakh to 10 lakh.

BMRCL officials said that Applied Materials in ITPB (International Technology Park Bangalore), Whitefield, has already procured 500 Metro smart cards for its employees.

Moneycontrol on March 24, 2023 highlighted BMRCL's plan to launch corporate passes.

How it works

BMRCL officials explained that corporate firms and tech parks can purchase bulk smart travel cards directly from them. "We will provide them with corporate access, allowing employees to recharge these cards, manage travel patterns, and facilitate the transfer of cards to new employees when needed," a senior official told Moneycontrol

The official also pointed out that the Metro fare for the longest 70km ride is only Rs 57, making it the most cost-effective and quickest commuting option.  “This initiative is expected to reduce office cab expenses for companies while simultaneously boosting Metro ridership, offering employees a traffic-free commute,” he said.

He said more tech parks and companies in Whitefield and Outer Ring Road are expressing interest in procuring bulk passes.  “Currently, two types of cards are available: closed-loop cards and NCMC (National Common Mobility Card). For NCMC cards, a KYC (Know Your Customer) process is required, and the bank (RBL) will facilitate this process. For closed-loop cards, the process will be completed on the BMRCL website” he said. In the next phase, dedicated passes will feature co-branding with the BMRCL's name/logo and the respective company or tech park.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro to launch 'tailor-made' passes for corporate firms

Plans to improve feeder bus connectivity

As part of the 'personal2public' campaign, the state government and NGOs have collaborated to enhance feeder bus connectivity from Metro stations.

Professor MV Rajeev Gowda, Vice Chairperson of the State Institute For The Transformation of Karnataka (formerly known as the State Planning Board), stated, "All para-statal agencies have been very cooperative and are working overtime to address Bengaluru's mobility issues." He also reassured the public that the current government is highly committed to making life easier and more comfortable for all commuters.

Kataria said that static timings of feeder buses will soon be displayed at Metro stations. "There are plans to introduce dynamic boards in the future. These dynamic boards will provide Metro station passengers with real-time information on bus services"

They have identified five major tech parks with a combined workforce of 3.75 lakh employees. The plan is to provide direct point-to-point services, accommodating 6,000 passengers per hour, using a fleet of 45 feeder buses measuring 9 meters in length. These buses will operate at a frequency of every 2.5 minutes during peak hours (8 am-10 am and 5 pm-7 pm).

Here is a breakdown of the nearest Metro stations for each tech park:

RMZ Ecospace (1 lakh employees) - Nearest station: KR Pura (10 km in 33 minutes by bus).

Embassy Tech Park (70,000 employees): KR Pura (8.9 km in 25 minutes).

Prestige Tech Park (85,000 employees):  Seetharampalya (7.6 km in 25 minutes).

Bagmane Tech Park (85,000 employees): KR Pura (2.6 km in 10 minutes).

Cessna Tech Park (35,000 employees):  Seetharampalya (8.4 km in 30 minutes).

Currently, BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) operates one bus every minute on Outer Ring Road for various routes, including KR Pura to ORR (2,200 trips a day), KR Pura to Hoodi (1,700 trips a day), and Marathahalli to ITPL (1,500 trips a day).

Manas Das, President of the Outer Ring Road Companies' Association, emphasised the importance of addressing last-mile connectivity issues, improving walkability, enhancing lighting, and providing adequate bus shelters to promote greater acceptance of public transport.

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has committed to strengthening first and last-mile connectivity, especially from the KR Pura Metro station to tech parks on Outer Ring Road. G T Prabhakar Reddy, Deputy Chief Traffic Manager (Operations), stated that steps have been taken to increase the frequency of services, including adding 16 Volvo services on ORR with a frequency of 5 minutes, totaling 2000 trips.

Also, read: Bengaluru car users spend 1-1.5 hours in each direction; 95% keen to shift to Metro: Survey report