BTP moots bus station to fix Silk Board Junction mess

The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) is preparing a proposal to construct a bus station at the traffic-prone Silk Board junction.

Speaking at the “DH & Citizen for Civic amenities” event on Saturday, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) P Harishekaran revealed that his department has conducted a study on the Silk Board junction and found that the one of the main reason for traffic jams on this stretch is buses.

“I have voluntarily studied silk board junction traffic chaos. There is a one acre land on the stretch. My officers have proposed to the BDA, BBMP and BMTC to construct a bus station so that the traffic will be reduced,” said P Harishekaran.

The traffic police chief also highlighted the need for scientific bus bays in the city. “There is a lack of bus bays hence the buses occupy the service road. For instance, there is no bus bay from Cauvery theatre to International Airport,” he said.

“I have approached the BBMP and BMTC to have bus bays while constructing the roads. In the main arterial roads and sub-arterial roads, there are no bus bays. So if two or three buses stop one behind the other there will be a queue of 400 to 500 vehicles,” he added.

“For solving the parking problem in the city, the government should bring in a parking policy,” Harishekaran suggested. “We don’t have larger space for public parking in almost all the main areas. We are compromising road space for public parking” he added.

Speaking about the elevated corridor project, Harishekaran said, “We have to implement the project as per the government’s direction. I have requested the chief minister to consider having a traffic police,” he said.

Bengaluru is expanding in a circular way, unlike Chennai and Mumbai where South-North expansion is prevailing. Therefore, traffic congestion on all the roads is in a circular form, Harishekaran said while dubbing Bengaluru a ‘Chakravyuha’.