Now, oxygen tankers get signal-free movement on Bengaluru roads

Green corridors, special traffic routes to facilitate the signal-free movement of vehicles, have a new beneficiary in Bengaluru: Oxygen tankers.

With the oxygen crisis worsening due to the raging second wave of Covid-19, the traffic police on Thursday created four green corridors for the seamless movement of oxygen tankers from Dobbspet to Bowring Hospital, a distance of over 50 kilometres from the northern outskirts to the city centre.

True to form, the pandemic is redefining the utilitarian value of so many things. Green corridors, once the preserve of emergency ambulances and VVIPs, are no exception.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B R Ravikanthe Gowda gives a compelling reason for the change. "An ambulance usually carries only one patient. By facilitating its fast movement, only one life can be saved. But each of these oxygen tankers has the potential to save a hundred lives, so creating green corridors becomes vital. We are doing both of these works on a priority basis," he told DH.

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The oxygen tankers take 30-35 minutes to reach their destination (hospitals) from the source (plants). While ordinary ambulances get the right of way at traffic junctions and move alongside other vehicles without any hindrance, green corridors mean absolutely zero traffic. If it's a single lane, traffic is stopped in the opposite direction to ensure the fast movement of ambulances. It's similar to the level of traffic clearance provided to top-tier ministers, said a senior traffic police officer.

Gowda said the contact details of the traffic control room had been shared with hospitals and other stakeholders. "Citizens can also contact the control room during such emergencies. We will verify the genuineness of the call with the Covid monitoring group and create the green corridor within a few minutes," he explained.

In a sign of the times, the number of ambulances needing fast movement has sharply increased in the past few weeks. If the traffic police earlier facilitated the fast movement of 800-850 ambulances in a day in the city, this number now stands at 1,250-1,300.

On Thursday, 1,280 ambulances needed fast clearance.