BMTC rolls out decongestion plan

BMTC rolls out decongestion plan
The Times of India

Bangalore: The snarling traffic jams on Bangalore roads have prompted Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to draft a detailed agenda with short-term, longterm and medium-term plans. The draft will be handed over to the chief secretary.
“As a department that directly faces the brunt of increasing traffic congestion, we’re looking at the larger picture and are not presenting only BMTC’s demands,” BMTC managing director Upendra Tripathy said.
Some of the innovative suggestions include imposing congestion tax for highly congested areas, and ensuring all educational institutions begin before 8 am so that a huge chunk of traffic is off roads at peak hours.
Tripathy has also suggested a declaration of 12 ‘no-auto zones’ in the core areas of Bangalore city a la Mumbai, where autorickshaws are not allowed in South Mumbai.
“Some of these suggestions are innovative practices which we’ve put together from our various trips abroad. Like regulations to keep vehicles with even and odd numbers off the roads on alternate days. Or introduction of weekly offs on different days of the week after diving the city into two zones,” Tripathy said.
There are other suggestions or demand management measures which involve an administrative rehaul — like introduction of flexi hours for government departments and PSUs, prohibiting parking on main roads and at commercial places and banning two-wheelers inside city limits at certain time periods.
But Tripathy is optimistic about their approval. “While we cannot expect every single suggestion to be implemented, we’re sure that some of them can be applied with immediate effect.”
Tripathy has also requested the setting up of a committee to seek people’s view on adoption of these demand management measures. The committee will interact with residents’ associations, traffic experts and civic societies.
The medium-term plans envisage completion of various projects like bus bays in the CBD areas, bus shelters in city and suburban areas, service roads along Outer Ring Road to facilitate pedestrian and bicycle movement, massive north-south and east-west flyovers connecting the intermediate Ring Road from West of Chord Road to Indiranagar and from South End Circle to Mehkri Circle with access points at every 3 km, but with restricted access to light-weight vehicles.
On the long-term agenda is the hope for a full-fledged satellite town and markets to meet essential day-to-day needs to be constructed outside the city, apart from improvement in basic infrastructure like more service roads, road passes and bus bays.
ON AGENDA
Construction of bus bays in the city Completion of bus shelters by BDA Earmarking of dedicated corridors for buses at peak hours Campaign strategy to make public transport popular Rerouting of BMTC buses coming from South Bangalore and going towards Kempe Gowda Bus Stand through JC Road or Good Shed Road instead of passing through K R Market to avoid congestion in City market Traffic light synchronisation to let buses on priority basis. Direct bus service to be increased