Bengaluru is one of the world’s most congested cities and has the highest number of private cars in India. While the metro service has rapidly expanded over the years, a recent WRI India survey revealed that 70% of commuters were deterred by poor last-mile connectivity to metro stations in the city. Amidst these commuting hassles, Alstom, a multination manufacturer in smart and sustainable mobility, has introduced Low Emission Access to Public Transport (LEAP), a programme under its CSR initiative, supported by World Resources Institute (WRI) India, that aims to boost last-mile connectivity, encouraging greater public transport usage.
The programme was inaugurated on Wednesday by Olivier Loison, Managing Director, Alstom India, Srinivas Alavilli, Fellow, WRI India, Rajeev Gowda, Vice-Chairman, State Institute for the Transformation of Karnataka, and Kalpana Kataria, Executive Director (Connectivity and Asset Management), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).
As part of the pilot phase, MetroRide, a start-up mentored under the Alstom’s sustainability incubation programme, will have electric autorickshaws deployed as last-mile service from Yelachenahalli and Indiranagar Namma Metro stations. As a step to encourage and include women in the urban mobility landscape, MetroRide has trained around 25 women drivers to drive the electric rickshaws in the said region. The rides can be booked through the MetroRide app.
