In a first for Bengaluru, civil society could soon be part of the decision-making process on proposed mobility projects as the draft bill on the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) gives them voting powers.
Chief minister (chairman), chief secretary and heads of various government departments and agencies will be among the 33 members of the BMLTA. Two representatives of civil society and three independent experts will also be part of the authority, which will decide on proposals placed by its executive committee.
Decisions in the BMLTA will be based on voting. All but two members representing central government agencies will having voting rights, said a government source. Independent experts and civil society members will be able to cast their vote to support a project, send it for revision or scrap it altogether. The chief minister will vote in case of a tie, the source added.
The opportunity is a breakthrough for civil society, which has spoken out against projects like the steel flyover from Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal.
Urban transport activist Sanjeev Dyamannavar said civil society enthusiasts should be individuals who are not associated with any government agency or NGO. "A procedure should be developed to chose an individual who's concerned about urban transport and understands the long-term needs of the city and commuters. There should be no conflict of interest. Otherwise, people with political influence will end up in those positions," he said.
He added that officials who are members of the BMLTA should not be subjected to frequent transfers.
Srinivas Alavilli, head of civic participation at NGO Janaagraha, described the BMLTA as a major step forward in the democratisation of decision-making. "It looks very promising. It's also an opportunity to raise pertinent issues like the first- and last-mile connectivity, common mobility card, and implementation of existing rules and plans in their spirit," he said.
Alavilli said the government should take up the bill on the BMLTA without any further delay. "Golden opportunities are still being lost due to lack of coordination between departments. The BMLTA should not be delayed any further. In our recent campaign demanding the authority, 13 of 28 MLAs from Bengaluru have endorsed our argument. Some others sought information about the bill and agreed to give us time," he said, adding that efforts should be made to get the BMLTA bill passed during the ongoing session.