UMTA, curbs on private vehicles to ease congestion

The government is mulling over placing restrictions on private vehicles in the central business district besides setting up of a Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority and Road Safety Authority (RSA) for better traffic management in the city, Principal Secretary of Transport Department B Basavaraju said on Saturday.

Speaking at DH’s interactive event as part of DH & PV Citizens for Civic Amenities to open a debate on Bengaluru’s traffic problems, the senior official noted that the matter of transport was split between different corporations handled by different departments. He said a multi-pronged approach was required to find solutions.

While the bus services come under the transport department, the Metro is monitored by the Urban Development Department (UDD) and the traffic police work as the enforcing arm.

“Lack of coordination between different departments has been acknowledged and the government is in the process of setting up the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority to address the problem. The UDD has already prepared a draft on this and the authority will be set up by the end of the year,” Basavaraju said. The state budget had announced an Integrated Road Transport Authority.

Noting that Karnataka stands third in states with the highest number of accidents and fatalities in India, Basavaraju said the state will soon have an RSA which involves stringent punishment for officials who fail to implement the rules.

“We have learnt from the RSAs in two other states and incorporated stricter measures. The authority will have financial as well as administrative powers. The draft rules provide for a penalty and even imprisonment of officials who fail to implement the directions of the authority,” he said.