Stung by jibe, GBA chief vows to complete Ejipura flyover by June
BENGALURU: Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao on Friday said the Ejipura Flyover would be completed by June next year. He was speaking at the golden jubilee celebration of Bangalore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Speaking at a panel discussion titled Bengaluru Infra-Woe to Wow! (Citizen Centric Transformation), Rao said the GBA will focus on making Bengaluru a livable public space. Priority will be helping people opt for public transport wherever possible. In response to co-panelist and architect Naresh Narasimhan who ridiculed Ejipura Flyover project which he flayed by saying that the land for upper ramp and landing area was not acquired and the project was still pushed and this led to Koramangala losing out Metro connectivity, Rao said, Koramangala missed having a Metro station. But the priority would be to complete the flyover and take the Metro to the closest point, he said and added, By June, we hope to complete the flyover. He said Bengaluru has been missing traffic planners and urban designers and the GBA wanted to make amends by bringing in them. He welcomed experts to volunteer in this area. The GBA chief also said that with the city population expected to touch 2.5 crore in the next few years, sustainable development like Metro network and reducing air pollution will be key areas of interest. There should be investment in public transport, and road infrastructure besides a sea change in the attitude in garbage management. More construction is happening, with that air quality is being impacted. The priority is to make the city more walkable and improve air quality, said Rao. Chairman, Bengaluru Business Corridor, LK Atheeq, speaking at the panel, suggested creating a cultural identity for the city. He said people and tourists dont know what to do when they come to Bengaluru and end up visiting only parks and a few malls. Make a list of events like Chitarsante, Karaga, Kadalekai Parishe and others and make the same available in the form of pamphlets at all hotels. We need cultural hubs that have music. Make a few more streets as walking streets on weekends, said Atheeq.
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