Assembly passes Bill for London-like transport authority in Bengaluru

The Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday passed the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai assuring the House that his government is working on multiple fronts to address the city’s mobility woes.

The Bill seeks to establish an umbrella body on the lines of Transport for London to streamline Bengaluru's mobility. Chaired by the chief minister, the BMLTA will bring all key policy-making stakeholders under one roof.

“Because there are multiple institutions, there are overlaps and decisions are contrary,” Bommai said, explaining the Bill, adding that Bengaluru is India’s fastest-growing city. “While many cities grow vertically, Bengaluru has grown horizontally.”

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Bommai, who is also in charge of Bengaluru affairs, said the city did not grow in a planned way. “Eight surrounding towns and 110 villages were acquired. Imagine the infrastructure of a town and village into which large traffic is going,” he said, adding that 5,000 new vehicles enter the city’s roads daily. “The city has 1.25 crore people and 1.04 crore vehicles. In five years, vehicles will outnumber people.”

The government has started decongesting entry points such as Goraguntepalya and Hebbal, Bommai said. “Bengaluru’s traffic needs a scientific study. We’re consulting IISc and other organisations while reviewing older reports. We’ve put an ADGP-level officer in charge,” he said, referring to IPS officer MA Saleem. “A big traffic command centre will be ready in a year. We’ll use 7,000 cameras, including AI cameras.”

Citing the example of the Hebbal flyover, Bommai said it used to take 20 minutes to pass through it. “Now, it takes 7-8 minutes because heavy vehicles are not allowed. This is being done in several places,” he said.

The government is also studying global examples. “There are traffic jams in Shanghai despite having high-speed trains to reach the airport in 30 minutes. London and New York, too. We’re studying how they’re tackling traffic,” Bommai said.

Bommai said the government is working on the Peripheral Ring Road and Satellite Town Ring Road projects.

MLAs who spoke on the Bill stressed on coordination among government organisations. Former BJP minister Arvind Limbavali said the BMLTA should address vehicle parking and its jurisdiction must cover rural areas. Law Minister JC Madhuswamy said parking management would be done under BMLTA. On jurisdiction, he said BMLTA would cover 279 sq km.

Accepting Congress' UT Khader's suggestion, Madhuswamy said one minister elected from Bengaluru would be added as a BMLTA member.