After scathing review, DULT dilutes objection to tunnel road project in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A month after issuing a scathing report against the BBMP’s feasibility study on the controversial tunnel road project, the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has softened its stand, saying its comments should not be construed as the opinion of the Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA).

In its letter to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), DULT suggested that the civic body consider the instructions of the Urban Development Department (UDD) and the government.

In July 2024, the BBMP sent its feasibility report on the tunnel road to DULT for review and approval. In November 2024, after four months of study, DULT — which functions as the BMLTA’s Secretariat — sent its review comments to the BBMP.

The report was critical of the project, saying it did not align with Bengaluru’s broader mobility goals and flagged the lack of geological and environmental studies.

However, in December 2024, DULT sent another letter to the BBMP, stating that its November comments should not be construed as those of the BMLTA, which was not yet established.

Mobility experts believe that DULT came under pressure to issue a clarification.

"Basically, it abdicated its role as a regulator. And, the BBMP latched on to the suggestion and obtained government approval on the back of an ad-hoc committee recommendation,” independent mobility expert Satya Arikutharam said.

He pointed out that the BMLTA Act is already in force and hence, approval for the tunnel road is mandatory. “Its Secretariat DULT is fully functioning; and yet the BMLTA ducked out of the process because of the lame excuse that it is not operational,” he said.