Autorickshaw lane project shelved

Autorickshaw lane project shelved
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Narrow road width, and high number of turnings on dedicated lanes have been cited as primary reasons for the withdrawal of the auto lane experiment.
ACP (traffic planning) Narasimaiah told TOI that auto lanes were introduced on a pilot basis.
“After a 4-month trial, we found that too many openings/turnings were causing inconvenience to autos as well as other vehicles. The assessment was that the dedicated lane was restricting easy flow of traffic,’’ said Narasimaiah. He also pointed out that bus stops on the lanes and frequent breakdowns hindered vehicular movement. “This is related to road width. If the carriageway was bigger, more space would have been available for the dedicated lane and adequate space available for autos to travel despite the presence of bus stops. But with narrow carriageway, autos have to deviate from the lane. In peak hours, this can affect traffic flow,’’ added Narasimaiah.
Traffic officials said feedback from auto drivers, citizens and experts had been taken into account before withdrawing the project. “Overall, it was a mixed reaction. We have withdrawn the auto lane for the time being,’’ added Narsimaiah.
Narsimaiah said Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 was spent for the pilot project. “Money was spent to purchase concrete blocks used to mark the lane. The traffic cones had been purchased as part of the B-TRAC funds,” he said.