The HAL Airport has been an issue of contention
between successive State and Central governments and Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited.Bangalore's HAL Airport (IATA code:
BLR) is India's fourth busiest and functions as both a
domestic and international airport. Direct flights from
Bangalore fly to destinations in Asia, the Middle East
and Europe. The liberalisation of India's economic policies
has led to increase in the number of domestic carriers
within India, with several low-cost carriers such as SpiceJet,
Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and Go Air servicing
the city.
Air Deccan, with its hub in Bangalore, has the most number
of flights into and out of Bangalore. Unlike most airports
in the country which are controlled by the Airports Authority
of India, the quasi government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited owns and operates Bangalore's HAL Airport, and
also uses it to test and develop fighter aircraft for
the Indian Air Force. The dual-vested interests in the
airport along with an increase in air traffic to Bangalore
led to a prolonged tussle for operational ownership between
the HAL and the Government of Karnataka. In 1991 plans
for a large-scale Bangalore International Airport were
conceived; however, the project was repeatedly delayed
due to red tape and friction between the private companies
involved and the state government. Clearance for the construction
of the US$ 288 million (Rs. 1,300 crore) airport was eventually
granted in June 2004, with Siemens AG, Zürich Airport
and Larsen and Toubro as its major private stakeholders.
Construction work on the airport began in July 2005. This
new International Airport is coming up in Devanahalli,
31 km North of Bangalore, and is likely to be operational
by April 2008. Also, the construction of the 6-lane Bangalore-Devanahalli
expressway is underway, and most parts are nearly complete.
This enables HGV's to bypass the city centre if they are
en route to other destinations and has helped ease congestion
in the centre, although the volume of traffic is still
a problem many residents have complained about. A good
way for tourists to see the city is via City Swaps, Bangalore's
international style Hop On Hop Off sightseeing service.
Autorickshaws, also simply referred
to as Autos are a popular form of public transport in
Bangalore.Bangalore is well connected to the rest of
the country through the Indian Railways.
The Rajdhani Express connects Bangalore
to New Delhi. The city is also connected to Mumbai,
Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, as well as other major
cities in Karnataka.
Three-wheeled, black and yellow auto-rickshaws, referred
to as autos, are a popular form of transport. They are
metered and can accommodate up to three passengers.
Taxi service within Bangalore is provided by several
operators commonly referred to as City Taxis and can
take in up to four passengers and are usually metered
and relatively more expensive than auto-rickshaws.
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation
(BMTC) operates a fleet of 3,207 BMTC public
buses, servicing an average of 2,800,000 commuters.
BMTC also has about 25 Low Floor, Air Conditioned Volvo
buses on major routes and has plans to introduce another
25 by the end of 2006. The new additions to BMTC is
its "Pink Buses" meant for women passengers
alone.An intra-city rapid rail transport system called
the Namma Metro is being developed and is expected to
be operational in 2008. The Metro, once ready, will
encompass a 33 km (20.5 mi) elevated and underground
rail network, with 32 stations in Phase I and more being
added in Phase II.
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