JOIN USPolice want buses halted on outskirts to ease city traffic
The proposal by the traffic police to ease traffic congestion in the city by curtailing the inter-state and intra-state bus permits to outskirts of Bengaluru has drawn a flak from the traffic experts and private bus operators.
The Transport department officials say they have no such powers to curtail the routes while experts opined that the move would not ease the traffic in the city.
“Instead it might further escalate the problems. There will be no guarantee that the passengers will catch a BMTC bus to reach their destination,’’ said traffic expert M N Sreehari.
What is the point in making the passengers to get down from the bus on the outskirts and make them catch another vehicle to reach their homes. How would this ease the traffic, Sreehari questioned.
The traffic could be eased only when people stop their personal vehicles on the outskirts and choose public transport. A study suggested that a bus is equivalent to 30 cars. If people choose bus as a mode of transport then traffic could be eased, he said.
The proposal sought to curtail the routes of both private and state-owned buses including buses from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
As many as 184 private buses have taken inter-state permits from the state transport authority and 220 buses from the regional transport authority for intra-state movement.
Recently, the Transport department had convened a meeting of private bus operators, who expressed their unwillingness to adhere to the proposal as it will not help either public or them.
K T Rajashekhar, president, Karnataka State Tourist Transport Operators’ Federation and managing director, SRS Travels, said what is the point in restricting buses on the outskirts as it will cause inconvenience to passengers to take another vehicle with their luggage.
H G Kumar, Additional Commissioner for Transport and Secretary, State Transport Authority said the police has the power to restrict the vehicles by using Karnataka Motor Vehicles rules in the manner they did recently for the global investors meet in the city.
Even the KSRTC too partially opposed the idea on a few routes because it has no bus terminals on the outskirts expect one on Mysuru road and another near Peenya on Tumakuru road.
Besides, no alternative space has been suggested for private and public operators on the outskirts.
End pointsThe traffic police have proposed to curtail the buses at the following points on the city outskirts: Peenya (Tumakuru Road), Attibele (Hosur Road), Summanahalli (Magadi Road), Bhattarahalli (K R Puram Road) and Kengeri (Mysuru Road).