BMP traffic engineering creates hurdles for police

BMP traffic engineering creates hurdles for police
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The city police are not all that comfortable with the traffic engineering wing remaining with the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP).

They believe that the BMP handling it is creating wholly unavoidable bureaucracy, which is only delaying traffic-related works. A senior police officer supervising Bangalore’s traffic wondered in what way was the BMP connected with traffic related issue, except providing necessary road infrastructure. The city police, he explained, had to approach the BMP officials even to put up a small signal light, and the work invariably gets delayed.

The traffic police have, after their own assessment and following requests from members of public, have identified many places in the city for installing traffic lights. They have also planned some ‘raised platforms’ instead of humps for pedestrian walking, but they all are pending before the BMP.

The police officer said that after making the proposals, they keep following up at every level in the BMP, and the procedure itself is elaborate and dilatory.

The BMP draws up estimates, invites bids and awards work contract. As for signal lights, there are only two agencies including BEL which manufacture and supply it, the officer added. He suggested that it was time the government revised the system and transferred the traffic engineering division from BMP to the city police.