Citizens want CDP to address city’s transport needs

Citizens want CDP to address city’s transport needs
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: ‘‘The Comprehensive Draft Plan (CDP) prepared by the BDA does not address the transport issue at all,’’ thundered a traffic engineer at a review of the CDP organised by the NGO, Janagraha, on Friday.

Transport related issues were raised at the interaction between citizens and SCE-Creocean, the designers of CDP. The need for a mass transport system was expressed by most of them.

‘‘I want a simple transport system free from all political overtones,’’ a participant said. Many preferred the BMTC buses.

The metro seemed to be a distant reality for many. Some felt that the metro was costly since the cost of travelling by it may come up to Rs. 14 to 15 a kilometre.

‘‘A circular train can connect the city,’’ Vijay Kumar Mishra, a Janagraha member said. He supported his suggestion by saying that the city already has railway stations and a line from Cantonment Railway Station to Hosur Road can decongest the traffic and help people plying to Electronics City.

‘‘Only one station needs to be opened at Chandrapura. Over 15,000 vehicles can be removed from the roads,’’ he said.

Commuters Comfort Transport Chairman and Former BMTC general manager, R V Bhosekar said BMTC could help a great deal in this. ‘‘A dedicated bus lane throughout the city can ease the congestion. The bus lane has to be proposed in the CDP,’’ he said.

Jayanthi, a representative of SCE pointed out that the CDP has proposed bus terminals at various parts of the city to decongest traffic at Majestic. ‘‘The rush is a lot at Majestic.

To create a balance, the bus terminals are planned,’’ she said. The truck terminals and warehouses will also prevent heavy vehicles from entering the city.

But all the ideas got stuck at the thought of the lack of co-ordination between the various transport authorities. ‘‘We need all the transport authorities to be under one authority,’’ George K Kuruvila, a town planner said.

But another bureaucratic set-up was not a welcome idea to some and they suggested and public-private set up.