Divorced from reality: Police propose impractical plan

Drive away traffic hitch soon
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: If the claims of the Bangalore City Traffic Task Force are to be believed, then travelling through the city’s heart will be a lot less horrendous that it now is. This may sound too good to be true, but motorists can look forward to a smooth, uninterrupted drive without the hassles of traffic signals and junctions, to get from one end of the city to the other - simply by using the Core Ring Road (CRR).

The ambitious plan is listed as a ‘mid-term’ measure to be achieved within 12 months. According to officials, once the CRR is developed, motorists need not enter the Central Business District (CBD) at all as they can skirt around and get to their destinations.

What’s more, the four-lane, 25-km road will have no junctions and stops, only mini-flyovers and subways. The plan is to bypass all 53 junctions, including 23 major ones.

At a meeting of the Task Force on Monday, officials explained that the Core Ring Road will make it possible to restrict private vehicles in the core area.

For instance, if you are travelling from Jayanagar to Malleshwaram, you do not need to go through Hudson Circle.

Bangalore City Corporation Commissioner K Jyothiramalingam said they are hopeful of executing the project under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) which has been mooted by the Centre.

“This could qualify. Though we have not yet got the official guidelines from NURM, we have appointed a consultant to draw up the project,” Jyothiramalingam said. Earlier this year, the Centre had prepared the NURM scheme, planned with an outlay of Rs 5,500 crore, which will cover seven mega cities of which Bangalore is one.

According to officials, more than 25 per cent of the traffic in the central area is headed elsewhere, but has to pass that way.

To be developed by the BCC, the Core Ring Road will connect main arterial roads. It will connect Mekhri Circle, Yeshwanthpura Circle, Dr.Raj Kumar Road, Sirsi Circle, Minerva Circle, Lalbagh main gate, Diary Circle, Richmond Road, Trinity Circle, Ulsoor Lake, Cantonment railway station and back to Mekhri Circle.

Earlier, speaking at the meeting, Home Secretary Brahm Dutt admitted that the traffic problem was very serious and it continues to be so.

The Task Force has the principal secretary (Home) as its chairperson and comprises principal secretaries, finance and urban development, commissioners of the BDA, BCC and the police, managing directors of the BMTC, BWSSB, BESCOM, transport commissioner and IGP, fire services.