Adding more to fumes

Adding more to fumes
G Manjusainath
From just two lakh seventy seven thousand in 1985 to 35 lakh in 2008, city's vehicle population rose at pace with the human population and the sky rocketing real estate market...


But the growth has its impact on the city roads as well and the ‘Garden City’ or the ‘Pensioners’ Paradise’ earned dubious distinctions like ‘City Of Traffic Jams’ or ‘Wheezing-Sneezing Bangalore’.

By the end of 2007 the city had 31.29 lakh and according to the traffic experts it has rose to nearly 35 lakhs in six months and by the end of 2008, the number of vehicles would increase to nearly 38 lakhs. Interestingly the increase in just one year will be approximately 6.5 lakh. This rise will be equivalent to the total vehicle population in 1990, which was around 6.28 lakh.

Personal vehicles are increasing invariably, particularly the two wheelers, despite the fact that the city boasts of having around 65,000 buses on city road to ferry local commuters.

Traffic police sources view that the residents to go for personal means of transportation than the public transport system because the city roads aren’t wide enough at several places like Kurubarahalli and surrounding areas, where buses cannot reach. People in such areas are compelled to use personal vehicle than relying on the private vehicles, the sources added. They said the increase in wealth, rise in the sale of second hand vehicles and enough buyers of used vehicle.

Also the rising case of theft of vehicles, particularly two-wheelers is also considered as the reason behind the increase in vehicles in the city. Sources further added that the public means of transport is mostly used by the people from the lower or lower-medium class while the upper medium and higher section avoid using the public transport, either because of prestige or for safety reasons.