'B'luru's transport system not equipped for odd-even plan'

City needs at least 3,000 more buses to make rule a success: Officials

The debate on introducing the odd-even rule to end traffic woes and bring down pollution levels may soon fizzle out as the City’s public transportation system may not be well-equipped for the scheme, say Transport department officials.

Officials who are looking into the possibility of implementing the odd-even rule on the lines of the Delhi government are of the view that the formula will not work here unless the BMTC gears up by adding at least 3,000 buses to its fleet.

Implementing the odd-even rule means taking around five lakh cars off the road and adding as many BMTC buses to cater to the public demand, a Transport department official told Deccan Herald. “Already, the BMTC is under pressure and adding more buses to its fleet will breakdown the system,’’ the official added.

There are 6,420 BMTC buses plying in the City, carrying close to 47 lakh passengers on a daily basis. On the other hand, the total number of cars plying as on November 2015 was close to 15.28 lakh. Of this, nearly 10 lakh are private cars while the remaining are taxis and government cars.

‘Restrict traffic’

Speaking about restricting vehicular movement in certain areas to reduce traffic jams, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that curbing the movement of vehicles by issuing permits like in Singapore could be more effective than the odd-even rule. The Singapore Traffic Act restricts the movement of vehicles on any road or during a specific day or time.

Meanwhile, when asked about the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s recommendation to ban vehicle registration in BBMP limits, Reddy said that this will not work unless there is a ban across the State.

“People will go to nearby RTOs in Hoskote, Devanahalli, Doddaballapur, Ramanagara, Kanakapura and get their vehicles registered and drive back into the City,’’ he said.

The State government has already written to the Ministry of Surface Transport as the Motor Vehicle Act is a Central Act. “Unless the Act is amended it is not possible to ban registration,’’ Transport Commissioner Rame Gowda said.

Home Minister G Parameshwara has also said that the government is considering the implementation of the odd-even formula.

Meeting soon

A meeting will soon be held with officials from the Transport Department, Department of Forest, Environment and Ecology and High Court Judge Justice Ram Mohan Reddy to discuss the possibility of implementing the odd-even rule, solutions to curb accidents in the City and implement other safety measures.