Latest news with #BangaloreMetroRailCorporationLimited
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited gets new managing director
Bengaluru: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, operator of , has got a new managing director: Senior IAS officer Ravishankar J. BBMP chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao M, who was holding additional charge of MD, BMRCL, was relieved of the charge. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The new MD takes charge at a time when BMRCL is facing multiple challenges. The new MD is tasked with commissioning the 19-km Yellow Line, for which several deadlines were set in the past two years and missed. BMRCL is hopeful of opening the line with three sets of trains by Aug 15. CMRS inspection likely in next week The crucial safety inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) is likely to happen next week. A senior BMRCL official said, "We have received the crucial Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) certification for the driverless train and signalling systems on the new line. We are currently reviewing documents before submitting them to CMRS. The inspection is likely to take place next week." The line can be opened only after safety clearance from CMRS. Aug 15 deadline likely to missed Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya, in a social media post, said according to BMRCL, they may not achieve Aug 15 deadline. "Last I spoke to BMRCL on June 17, they said Aug 15 may be difficult." Meanwhile, the MP met Union minister for housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) Manohar Lal, seeking his intervention for early CMRS clearance and early commissioning of the line.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
BMRCL employees' union oppose plan to outsource metro train pilots and operations staff
: The BMRCL Employees' Union has raised objections to a recent move by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to outsource key operational roles, including Metro Train Pilots (MTPs), train operation supervisors, and train operation managers, for the upcoming Reach-5 and Reach-6 lines of Phase II. Speaking to The Hindu, Suryanarayan Murthy, vice-president of the union, said that the BMRCL has floated a tender to contract private firms for the operation of metro train services on these stretches, as well as at the depots. 'This is a government-owned company, and such critical posts should not be handed over to private players. We will oppose this move,' he said. Mr. Murthy warned that outsourcing such essential roles would directly impact BMRCL employees, particularly when it comes to career progression and job security. 'Even though the BMRCL has said that selected candidates will be trained, this still dilutes the importance of in-house staff,' he added. However, a senior BMRCL official clarified that the outsourcing decision has been taken primarily to address the current shortage of trained staff and to ensure that services on the new metro lines can begin on time. 'Chennai and Hyderabad metros have adopted similar outsourcing models, which help bring down operational costs while maintaining efficiency,' the official said. The official added that the move is a temporary measure aimed at meeting operational deadlines and that regular recruitment for permanent staff will continue as planned.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Ad hoardings to make a comeback, BBMP expects to earn nearly ₹500 crore additional revenue this year
hoardings are all set to make a comeback in the city after it was banned in 2018. The civic body hopes to rake in an additional revenue of nearly ₹500 crore through advertisement fee that ranges between ₹50 and ₹90 a sq. ft of the hoarding, depending on the guidance value of land in the area. Hoardings will not be allowed around Vidhana Soudha. The State government on Thursday issued the final notification of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Advertisement) Bylaws - 2024, a new ad policy pending for years. The Draft of the bylaws was issued in July 2024, and a final notification has been issued with a few changes, incorporating objections that came for the draft. For instance, the draft bylaws listed road widths in feet, while the final notification lists it in metres. The draft said no advertisement, apart from self-advertisement, will be allowed on a road less than 60 ft wide. The advertisement fee was in the range of ₹40 and ₹110, which has now been revised to in the range of ₹50 and ₹90. The total horizontal length of hoardings at a circle has been revised from 60 ft to 120 ft, and the maximum height of a hoarding from the ground has been raised from 75 ft to 30 metres (over 98 ft). With the new ad policy coming into force, the stage is now set for the civic body to give out rights to put up advertisements in the city through an open auction/tender. Before that, the BBMP should divide the whole city into suitable stretches of roads, circles, and areas, where paid advertisements shall be permissible through a notification. Chief Civic Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao said the civic body estimates to mop up additional revenue of about ₹400 to ₹500 crore through outdoor advertisement. The civic budget for 2025-26 estimates ₹750 crore revenue from the advertisement fee (as per new policy). However, the notification of road stretches, circles where advertisements will be allowed, and auction for advertising rights of the same will take time and this year, the revenue from this source will likely be lesser than what was estimated in the budget, sources said. The new advertisement bylaws for the first time allows advertising on private lands, lands owned by other agencies like Indian Railways, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) or bus stands of the KSRTC, and the BMTC, and public sector units. The revenue will be shared with the BBMP, the sources said. While the BBMP will auction advertising rights on road stretches, advertisers need to broker deals with individual property owners, including government agencies, to put up hoardings on them, and these property owners will have to pay additional property tax over the same. Restrictions The bylaws imposes several restrictions on outdoor advertising. For instance, it bans video advertising, imposes restrictions on neon lights, bans any advertising on trees, streetlights, electricity poles, on footpaths, abutting public roads, 50 ft from a traffic signal on all arms of the signal, 50 metres from any place of worship, etc. The bylaws also constitute an Advertisement Regulatory Committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department. The bylaws brings in several reforms, including making the entire process online. Each outdoor advertisement will have to carry a QR code which when scanned should provide all details of the advertisement and any violation will make it liable to be removed.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Private company to boost mobile connectivity on Namma Metro Phase-2 in Bengaluru
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has entered into a 13-year licence agreement with a private firm to deploy and operate telecom infrastructure aimed at enhancing mobile connectivity across Phase-2 of Namma Metro in Bengaluru. The agreement was signed with Advanced Communications and Electronics Systems Company (ACES) India Private Limited to install, operate, and maintain telecom infrastructure including In-Building Solutions (IBS), Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), cellular towers, and poles across metro stations in the four extensions of Phase-I, and Reach-5 and Reach-6 of Phase-II of Namma Metro. The agreement was signed on July 14, according to BMRCL. BMRCL Managing Director M. Maheshwar Rao said, 'The telecom infrastructure will support multiple mobile network operators, reduce duplication, bring down deployment costs, and enable quicker roll-out of advanced 4G and 5G services. Commuters on these corridors can expect uninterrupted mobile connectivity during their journey.'
The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
BMRCL to upgrade depots to support expanding Metro network in Bengaluru
In preparation for Bengaluru's expanding Namma Metro network, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is upgrading its existing train depots to accommodate additional rakes, especially for the Purple and Green Lines, which are set to receive 21 new trains in the coming months. Currently, the Metro train operations are supported by depots located at Peenya (for the Green Line), Kadugodi-Whitefield (for the Purple Line), and Baiyappanahalli. A new depot has also been constructed at Hebbagodi to serve the upcoming Yellow Line between R.V. Road and Bommasandra. Series of enhancements According to BMRCL officials, the Peenya depot is undergoing a series of upgrades to support the additional train sets. These enhancements include the construction of extra platforms, a jack pit for three-car coaches, and other essential infrastructure. 'The total cost for these works is estimated at ₹1.94 crore. These improvements are vital for the efficient stabling and maintenance of trains, thereby ensuring smooth operations across the metro network,' an official said. Baiyappanahalli depot redesigned Meanwhile, major redevelopment work has already been completed at the Baiyappanahalli depot, at a cost of ₹249.19 crore. This upgraded facility will be the first in the BMRCL system to feature a two-level structure. The redesigned depot is strategically positioned to support 16 trains operating on the Outer Ring Road stretch (Phase 2A) and 21 trains on the Airport Line (Phase 2B), which run in opposite directions. Baiyappanahalli sits in the middle of both corridors and is expected to play a key role in managing operations until the new Shettigere depot near the airport becomes operational. 'Presently, the Baiyappanahalli depot services the 43.49-kilometre-long Purple Line connecting Challaghatta to Whitefield. However, once the remodeling is complete, the responsibility for Purple Line maintenance will be divided between the Kadugodi and Challaghatta depots, as the upgraded Baiyappanahalli depot begins handling Airport Line operations,' the official added. Five new depots In addition to these developments, five new depots are under construction to support the expanding metro network. These include Shettigere (Airport Line), Kothanur (Pink Line from Nagawara to Kalena Agrahara), Anjanapura (Green Line extension), Challaghatta (Purple Line extension), and Hebbagodi (Yellow Line).
