Traffic cops want change in route of pvt buses

Stage carriage buses cause congestion in Majestic, KR Puram and Whitefield

The traffic police want the Transport Department to reroute stage carriage buses and create terminals and parking space for them on the outskirts. This is aimed at better traffic management as private buses are considered a menace on Bengaluru’s roads.

Stage carriage means a vehicle built or adapted to carry more than six passengers, excluding the driver, for hire or reward at separate fares paid by or for individual passengers, either for the whole journey or for stages of the journey.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M A Saleem said private buses were making it increasingly difficult to manage traffic in and around Majestic, KR Puram, Whitefield, Bellandur and Iblur. Every day, 250-odd stage carriage buses ply in KR Puram, Whitefield, Bellandur and Iblur. The number of stage carriage and contract carriage buses plying in Majestic is staggering. This needs to be checked, he said.

“The Transport Department should create terminals and parking space for private buses on the outskirts. We have also requested it to reroute stage carriage buses on City’s roads or deny them permission to ply,” Saleem told Deccan Herald. “In the meantime, we are planning to restrict the entry of private buses in and around Gandhinagar, Seshadripuram, Sheshadri Road, KR Puram and Majestic.”

Transport Commissioner Ramegowda said meetings had been held with the traffic police and private bus operators. “Things are slowly moving ahead. A plan is being chalked out on how the routes can be altered.

“But passenger safety and convenience should not be compromised. State-run buses should ply adequately on the routes. The traffic police should exercise their power to restrict the entry of private buses in the Central Business District (CBD),” he said.

Ramegowda described how buses from Mysuru Road to Magadi Road were rerouted, which helped reduce congestion on the former.

“But there is more congestion on Magadi Road now. So, we are requesting private buses to alter their routes and ply on toll and ring roads. Private buses coming from Ramanagar, Bidadi and Magadi tend to avoid City roads because they do not want to waste time in traffic jams. But this is not the case in eastern, southern and other parts of Bengaluru. To address this, meetings are being held and we will come to a conclusion soon,” he said.