Bus corridors can be the solution

Bus corridors can be the solution
Majestic Expected To Clog Up After Metro Work Begins
R Krishnakumar | TNN

Bangalore: Bus lanes for Bangalore are back in circulation, officially — this time, to serve a different purpose. As Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) gets set to commence earth works at the Kempe Gowda bus terminus to construct Namma Metro’s underground station, an infrastructure task group is vetting alternative plans to battle potential traffic chaos in the area. The plans include one for city buses to be operated from dedicated bus lanes, that could function as a chain of bus stops.
The earth works, that were earlier scheduled for late December, are now expected to commence in April 2009, according to sources. The Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development (ABIDe) task force is, meanwhile, using the extended time to finalize alternative traffic management plans. “Operations at the BMTC and KSRTC stations will be shifted. We have sought separate plans from BMTC, BMRC and KSRTC to ensure that traffic in the area doesn’t get chaotic. The task force will zero in on the best alternative and put it in place,’’ a task force member told The Times of India.
Dedicated lanes
The ABIDe task force is also looking at possibilities of shifting BMTC services to alternative locations, after identifying certain roads. M N Sreehari, traffic expert and adviser to the government, said a plan is on to utilize three roads — Totadappa Choultry Road, Shantala theatre road and the road from Upparpet police station to Anand Rao Circle — for creating dedicated lanes for BMTC buses to operate.
“Since the operation of KSRTC buses will be shifted to five or six alternative locations, including Peenya and Mysore Road, these three roads will be freer. If we can identify the services for the city’s east-west and north-south corridors and have two lanes on each side of the roads for BMTC buses plying on these corridors, the plan could work,’’ Sreehari said.
The underground Metro station will be a triggering point for the state government’s longterm plan for an integrated transportation terminal at Majestic, bringing together the services of Metro, BMTC, KSRTC and mono rail at one location. But much ahead of the implementation of the big plan, transportation agencies will have their task cut out in ensuring sane traffic in an already choking Majestic neighbourhood, after the Metro station earth works commence.
According to sources, the workable parts from all the alternative traffic management plans could supplement the proposed bus lane model.
BACK TO BUS LANES
Task force vetting traffic plans for Majestic
Dedicated lanes proposed for alternative BMTC stops Three roads on planners’ agenda Roads free of KSRTC buses could help Long-term plan for integrated terminal at Majestic
THREE ROADS
Totadappa Choultry Road Shantala theatre road From Upparpet police station to Anand Rao Circle