Going the Bengaluru way

Among Tier-2 cities in the state, Mysuru and Mangaluru are the next on the radar for commercial real estate. With the Expressway connecting Mysuru with Bengaluru, real estate prices have increased. 

Mysuru’s growth trajectory has striking similarities to Bengaluru. The city is not designed to handle an increase in the number of vehicles. 

Bhamy V Shenoy, former president of Mysore Grahakara Parishat, explains, “Unfortunately, the master plan drawn a few years back is outdated. There was no effort to study the traffic in the last seven years.”

Mangaluru is an educational hub today. It is well-connected to western Karnataka through coastal roads and is a popular attraction for real estate investment as well.

Here too, unauthorised constructions choke major roads like the M G Road and K S Rao Road. “The city corporation has allowed the parking space to be converted to commercial spaces officially, with door number. This is though car parking is mandatory for all buildings,” explains Vivekananda Paniyala, a lawyer-activist based in Mangaluru.

The comprehensive traffic and transportation plan in Mangaluru, designed in 2012, is yet to be executed. 

Ad-hoc road widening is an issue here as well. “What is the purpose of widening the road when Traffic police do not file a case against anyone for unauthorised parking on such rods,” says Paniyala.

Most schools and convention halls have no reserved car parking. The city does not even have a dedicated private bus stand. The hockey ground has been used as a temporary bus stand for the last 20 years.

The Hubli-Dharwad twin cities also suffer from traffic jams caused by rapid transport lanes and flyover constructions. “There is no futuristic vision or coordination. The city is just developing; nobody knows what to do. Now is the time to think about a better public transport infrastructure for twin cities, such as suburban and metro railways, but I do not see anyone talking about it. engaging people in planning is very important,” says Santosh Nargund, head of civic participation, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy.