18 kmph is City traffic speed

18 kmph is City traffic speed
From Ajith Athrady, DH News Service, New Delhi:
Bangalore figures among the top three cities in the country, in terms of its sluggish traffic movement...


According to the latest study, Bangalore’s peak hour traffic speed is 18 kmph while Delhi and Mumbai’s speed is 16 kmph.

The nation-wide study on “Traffic and Transportation Policies and Strategies in the Urban Areas in India” conducted by Wilbur Smith Associates on behalf of Union Ministry of Urban Development, shows that in bigger cities like Bangalore and Mumbai traffic movement was slower than small cities.

The traffic situation in Bangalore deserves serious attention because of the alarming vehicle growth rate, which is highest in the country with 14 per cent against the 10 per cent national average. The rate in mega cities like Chennai and Delhi is 8 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.“If the growth rate continues to remain the same it’d be no wonder if traffic speed reduces to even less than 15 kmph soon,” a senior official in the Urban Development Ministry told Deccan Herald.

The study also show that BMTC’s fleet has been growing by 9.4 per cent every year for the past five years. Bangalore stood third in the country with 7,575 accidents and a death toll of 833. Mumbai tops with 21,678 accidents (787 deaths) and Delhi comes in second with 9,351 accidents (2023 deaths). Hyderabad is fourth with 6149 accidents (1196 deaths), while in Hubli-Dharwad it’s 1000 (250 deaths).

Most of the road accident victims in Bangalore are pedestrians. Pedestrian-related death rate in Bangalore is third highest in the country. In Bangalore 18 per cent of vehicles park on the road side.

Road sense

*Peak hour traffic speed in Bangalore 18kmph; in Delhi and Mumbai it is 16 kmph

*Hubli-Dharwad traffic speed 23 kmph

*18% vehicles parked on roads in Bangalore

*In road accidents pedestrians are worst victims in Bangalore

*Vehicle growth in a year highest in Bangalore - 14% against national average 10%