Bengaluru's infamous traffic is affecting citizens' productivity, multiple studies over the past few months have revealed.
According to a study by traffic expert M N Sreehari and team, Bengaluru could be losing close to Rs 19,725 crore annually owing to loss of time and resources spent while navigating traffic.
Yet another study, which was a part of a working paper published by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), estimated that Bengalureans may be losing close to 7.07 lakh hours of productivity a year due to time spent negotiating the city's traffic maze.
"Owing to traffic, there might be direct productivity loss since employees may end up late at the workplace and may not extend work timings to offset the loss. That apart, we also have to consider the indirect loss of productivity owing to health impacts traffic could have on commuters," Professor Krishna Raj, co-author of the working paper (ISEC) 'Estimation of Productivity Loss Due to Traffic Congestion: Evidence from Bengaluru City', told DH.
Sreehari added that the estimations were also drawn considering the loss of resources. "The average standard urban speed limit is set at 40 kmph. However, owing to traffic, many end up driving at a slower speed and as a result, fuel consumption will vary. Also, vehicles could be put to better use. All these factors were considered while drawing out an estimate on financial losses," he said.
Interestingly, the ISEC study, which was conducted on close to 437 respondents, pointed out that commuters using public transport arrived less late to the workplace compared to those using private transport and as a result, productivity loss was higher among those commuting through private means.
"According to primary data, 57 per cent of private vehicle users and 55 per cent of public transport users arrive late at their workplace. It is either because public transport users tend to assess the congestion and travel time required and make their travel time arrangement accordingly and private transport users may not perceive such a requirement resulting in productive hour loss," the paper concluded.
Sreehari suggested that the government could bring down losses by ensuring better implementation of rules and by improving the existing infrastructure. "The government does not have to spend crores to bring down traffic congestion. Simple measures such as preventing parallel parking on roads, synchronisation of traffic signals, and construction of multi-level car parking facilities could result in drastic changes," he said.
The paper by ISEC suggested that policymakers should focus on ensuring a reliable and efficient public transport system. Krishna Raj opined that employers across the city could also provide employees with flexible working hours to bring down productivity loss.
"Also, vehicles could be put to better use. All these factors were considered while drawing out an estimate on financial losses," he added.