Fee on vehicle owners plying on select roads in Bangalore likely

Fee on vehicle owners plying on select roads in Bangalore likely
The Hindu Business Line

THE Transport Department is studying the possibility of levying an additional fee on vehicle owners for plying on certain roads in Bangalore.

The State Transport Commissioner, Mr Om Prakash, told Business Line that a comprehensive study had been undertaken to find solutions to solve the traffic woes in Bangalore.

He said every day, around 700-800 vehicles are registered in Bangalore RTO offices, "which could be one of the highest among Indian cities." He said there are 51 lakh vehicles in Karnataka and nearly 50 per cent of these are in Bangalore.

Mr Om Prakash said to levy such a fee, an infrastructure to collect fee from vehicle users has to be put in place. "We are studying various options including introducing a smart card," he said.

The Transport Commissioner said such a fee could only be introduced if a better mass rapid transport system is in place. "We need to offer an alternative to the public for any new solution to become effective," he said.

Mr Om Prakash said there was a possibility of introducing high-tech low floor buses in Bangalore, which can be an alternative to those who use private vehicles.

He said the Government had set July 2006 as a deadline for autorickshaw owners to switch over to LPG fuel. The Government has also asked oil companies to open more outlets for vending LPG.

He said by March, conversion of about 18,000 of the 52,000 autorickshaws identified for conversion into LPG fuel are expected to be completed. He said the remaining vehicles would be covered by next year.

The slow progress was due to lack of inadequate filling points. Against the need for 46 pumps, only 25 opened this year.