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Dedicated Bus / High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) Lane around CBD
Written By Vasanth - 3 August, 2013
Bangalore BMTC Bus BRTS suggestion
We see huge number of Buses passing through some of the CBD Area in Bangalore few of the roads. Despite of that, there is no dedicated lanes for BMTC buses and other High Occupancy Vehicles such as office shuttles. This slows down Public Transport Buses and also leads to accidents such as Buses hitting 2 wheeler leading to fatalities. Many of the roads are just 2 lanes on either sides such as Airport Road which does not allow for dedicated bus lanes. But the same road becomes one way and all 4 lanes are available in a single direction. But this wide road is not properly utilized, single occupancy cars occupy most of the space slowing down High Occupancy Vehicles such as BMTC buses which cannot negotiate traffic like cars due to its size.
This is a Proposal to start dedicated bus lanes on the left side of the road on wide one way roads. Earlier, there were discussions on BPS or Bus Priority System on Praja which has not materialized so far. Following are the roads:
1. Majestic to Corporation Circle via Anand Rao Circle Flyover and KR Circle.
2. Part of Kasturbha Road and Mallya Hospital Road.
3. Residency Road from Richmod Circle to ASC Public School via Garuda Mall & Hosmat Hospital
4. ASC Public School to Richmond Circle on Old Airport Road.
5. Woodlands Hotel on Fort Road till Majestic via Hudson/Corporation Circle.
6. Mantri Mall to 18th Cross on Sampige Road.
7. 18th Cross till KC General Hospital on Margosa Road.
This is not a high speed BRT like Janmarg with level boarding. Existing BMTC buses and company shuttles with a special permission from BTP can start using this.
Attached is the map..
COMMENTS
Vasanth - 5 August, 2013 - 13:30
Basically we need to have traffic cops monitoring bus lanes and issue tickets if any. This has been done throughout the world and even in India in Ahmeadabad and Delhi.
Apart from that, there are some devices which will allow only buses to enter which may be expensive.
MaheshK - 5 August, 2013 - 13:44
I dont know much about other roads apart from 6 and 7. I use these two roads most of the time. Though the idea is good, I am not sure if these two roads are wide enough to have a left lane blocked / dedicated for bus lanes / HOVs. I see number of BMTC buses coming one after the other. The concern is the width of the road.
Here are other concerns:
Will there be a barricade to separate the lanes
Will there be traffic police present to enforce the rules
How will the pedestrians cross those roads as there will be heavy traffic on the right lane (as the left lane would be potentially blocked for HOVs)
Will there be traffic lights so that the vehicles from each cross pass through these two roads
It is wide enough to incorporate
Vasanth - 5 August, 2013 - 15:59
MaheshK,
These roads are wide enough to incorporate this.
See this post posted earlier in Praja about how bus lanes are incorporated in London in very narrow roads:
http://praja.in/en/discuss/forums/2009/02/london-bus-lane-action-snap-shot
In India, we need a barricaded bus lane due to lack of discipline. Airport road is 4 lanes in one direction and KG Road is als 4 lanes wide. Same is the cases of other roads. Infact we could also have such a system in Mission road from Subbiah Circe to Lalbagh west gate, but the number of buses passing here is less compared to other places.
Pedestrains will be crossing the road in zebra crossings. Additionally, they can plan for skywalks on PPP model.
Traffic lights will be there as usual in junctions. But buses do not have to struggle with 2 wheelers and cars which will improve the speed of buses.
Worldover BRTS bus systems have been the thumbrule to increase the travel speed of people. Metro is constructed only as a last resort if roads are small and cannot afford.
Our ORR is also a candidate for a full fledge BRTS, and as per CIsTUP report, we should have had a BRTS between Silkboard o Hebbal, but nowhere the project is going. Government spends money on flyovers encouraging more cars and more traffic, not on Public Transport apart from buying buses and fancy TTMCs.
Even cities in Pakistan like Lahore has started BRTS along with cities like Ahmedabad, Indore and Bhopal. Delhi and Pune failed due to not following BRTS standards as set by Bogota and Curitiba which has set standard for BRTS throught the world.
Video on Lahore BRTS : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh7StCV_iUw
We always feel the road width is insufficient, but do not think how efficiently the road is being used. Single occupancy cars and SUVs is wastage of precious road space and wide buses with high occupancy have to compete with them in vain. So more space has to be reserved for buses for better utilization of roads. Movement of people is important than movement of vehicles.
We have a post going on BPS on and around old Airport Road
Vasanth - 6 August, 2013 - 02:56
We have a post going on BPS on and around old Airport Road here:
http://praja.in/en/projects/3815/announcement/g1old-airport-road-corridor-detail-files
If this is clubbed with Dedicaed Lanes here, travel via Bus will be much faster on Old Airport Road.
blrpraj - 5 August, 2013 - 06:50
how do you propose to prevent vehicles other than buses from using the bus lanes?
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