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Decongesting Bangalore City Centre

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Written By Devesh - 3 May, 2008

BIAL Traffic Bangalore Congestion Roads CBD High Speed Rail Analysis

In today's Devana Yelli? seminar organised by Bangalore Mirror, the general consensus in terms of connectivity to Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) was getting TO Hebbal flyover, once beyond it, things are rather smooth.

Additionally, a major solution will be the proposed rail link. However can you imagine the absolute chaos that will reign in the BRV grounds area, with large number of passengers arriving and departing. On my way back from the seminar I had the misfortune of running in to the IPL match traffic at KSCA stadium.

The solution to many issues plaguing Bangalore, is the decongestion. We can commence with the city centre. I have some ideas, but I am not an expert by any stretch of imagination. I invite Praja members to make some concrete proposals.

I will commence with three.

1. City Centre Surcharge

Impose a Rs. 50 (for two and three wheelers) and Rs. 100 (4 wheelers) per entry surcharge for any vehicle to enter the city centre weekdays between 8am and 11am, and 5pm to 8pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm. Public transport buses exempted.

2. High Parking fees

33% of Bangalore's roads are taken over by parking and another 33% by those looking for parking. Impose Rs. 50 per hour parking fee on all roads in Bangalore. For 2 wheelers a flat Rs. 1000 per month parking sticker which can be enclosed in a secure transparent holder. A pre-paid parking ticket system like in Singapore can be implemented. This is a card about 6 inches by 3 inches, with punch out holes for the year, month, date, and starting hour. The rate is fixed in two denominations. Rs. 25 and Rs. 50. The parker decides for how long they want to park and places the required number of cards on their dashboard. It will avoid heavy investment in fancy parking meters.

3. Take a cue from BIAL for public transport

Allow PPP in public transport in Bangalore. Allow private companies to offer public transport services in addition to BMTC.

Proposal 1, will provide a disincentive for people to rush to the city centre. Proposal 2, will disincentivise parking on the road, and make private multi-storey parking lots economically viable. Once these parking lots come up, a free shuttle service can be provided that will allow people to move around the city centre.

Proposal 3 will provide relief to BMTC financially, and will also provide competition that will force BMTC staff to mend their ways aka Indian Airlines and BSNL.

Your thought filled comments are requested.

Thanks in advance

Devesh

 

COMMENTS

In defence of the traffic police!!

vmenon - 14 May, 2008 - 12:19

This comment has been moved here.

Traffic Restraints

Naveen - 3 May, 2008 - 16:49

 

Hi All,

For reference, the CTTP-2007 report states :

“There are two ways to restrain the growth of private vehicles on road: either by pricing policy or by providing better level of service on public transport”,
& recommends the following, amongst other measures :
"Parking facilities provided /planned in side the CRR should only be for Short term parking with high hourly charges".
 
"Congestion Charges be imposed on slab-scale from private vehicles entering first the ORR and then the CRR."

Thus, they are also in line with your inputs here.

 

An old thought

narayan82 - 4 May, 2008 - 05:19

I have been thinking about this for years now: Building to signal free roads cutting across the city. For e.g. From Mysore road ring road junction to K.R Puram and from Peenya/Tumkur road to J.P Nagar 6th Phase (ring road).These must be 6 lane non stop roads with bus bays and designated turning areas. Also bring the Core ring road so these two roads avoid MG Road. Now, everyone will automatically find thier way to the nearest entry point to this express road and use it till the last stop. For e.g. if I were to go from Vijaynagar to M.G Road, then I would head to mysore road an take the express road (as opposed to digging through sheshadripuram). also ply busses at regular intervals on these roads. So feeder busses will bring you from home to the nearest express road stop and hence forth...

Think bigger

silkboard - 4 May, 2008 - 05:34

{deleted}

removing my comment to stick to short term suggestions requested by Devesh. 

Decongest Bangalore

Promod Kapur - 4 May, 2008 - 06:43

I am no expert in traffic management nor in planning processes of city development plans. There are many comment, all of which seem to focus on lack of connectivity because of inadequate road widths etc etc. These are fair comments, but are we not talking rather superficially on something that has a historic (recent) aberration and unless that cause is addrerssed we will only do a "Band Aid" solution?

Bangalore's roads are congested not only because we have too many people using them, but because we have

(a) A city plan that has given into the demands of "Lobbies" and given incentives for land speculators and builders to turn every place into a commercial one, without mandating and enforcing provision for adequate parking spaces. IT/ITES are the biggest enablers of this mess.

(b) Lax entry levels for driving licences, where skill and not road sense/etiquette are judging parameters, and where even the inspectors are ignorant of road etiquette.

(c) Inadequacy of space for non vehicular traffic, where by they are forced to walk on the carriageways, even at their peril.

(d) Totally inadequate enforcement machinery in handling road misuse. A sense of 'deja-vu' pervades across all sections. 'Jungle Raj' if you ask me. The state does not seem to have the heart and will to govern.

(e) A visionless, un accountable and disconnected approach of the planners (sic)and officials in making the roads user friendly. Have you noticed the presence of electric poles right in the middle of carraige ways on the widened roads in Bangalore? Or the presence of makeshift places of worship on footpaths? Or electric transformers, on the roads and on footpaths? Or the continuous digging up that leaves rubble on the roads for months on end? Or the garbage heaps lying directly in line of the traffic?

(f) Roads being widened, but ending up in bottlenecks like traffic signals or right turns. Unless and until bottlenecks are removed, no amount of widening is going to help ease the flow of traffic. All that we have achieved is enable more vehicles to wait on roads between two bottlencks. In the bargain, more trees chopped off, adding to global warming, increase in gas consumption and not enough saving in time. 

(f) IT/ITES not taking the responsibility of removing the congestion on roads by providing mass transportation to their employees. Hiring of taxis - 24x7, who are the biggest nuisance value to normal road users of Bangalore are also the biggest congesters of roads.

Was Bangalore not "unlocked" for those two days when these taxis went on strike? Did the IT companies shut their business on those days? I doubt. The alternative is obviously there, but will the Captains of the most pampered segment of businesses, respond and rise to shoulder their responsibility to city from which it demands the most?

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