'Short term measures futile for worsening traffic': Mobility experts analyse ORR

Bengaluru: Short-term measures are unlikely to fix the worsening traffic congestion along the Outer Ring Road (ORR), say urban mobility experts who analysed the situation on the 17-km stretch.

The tentative exit of trucking platform BlackBuck from the ORR, citing snarls and infrastructure issues, coupled with Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh’s invitation to BlackBuck co-founder Rajesh Yabaji to move the firm to Visakhapatnam, has triggered debate among industry leaders and mobility experts.

V Ravichandar, civic evangelist and member of the Brand Bengaluru Committee, singled out low road density as the problem.

"The road density in Whitefield is 8 km/sqkm, on Sarjapur Road about 10 km/sqkm, while in Jayanagar it is 25 km/sqkm. This shows there is no road grid and hence, no alternative exit points for traffic, leading to multiple chokepoints. While there is no short-term fix; the hierarchy of arterial, sub-arterial, collector and local roads must be established to eliminate chokepoints in the long run,” he said.

The lack of uniformity in road width adds to the ORR’s poor condition, he added. “Traffic moves better when road width is uniform. But ORR and Sarjapur Road lack this. As a short-term fix, pothole-free roads and improved lane discipline is essential.”

Srinivas Alavilli, Fellow with WRI India, urged tech parks to push employees towards public transport.

"Until Namma Metro’s Blue Line becomes operational, we need measures that encourage more bus usage by improving services, making them frequent and most importantly, faster by reviving the bus priority lane. Tech companies should nudge employees towards buses and metro by understanding commute patterns and instituting policies such as incentivising public transport and charging for parking,” he said.

Krishna Kumar Gowda, General Secretary of Greater Bengaluru IT Companies and Industries’ Association, suggested staggered office hours and work-from-home days on high-congestion weekdays.

"Enhanced carpooling, with tech parks and member companies promoting or even mandating reduced single-occupancy car usage during peak hours, will help,” he said, also urging the government to improve pedestrian access with upgraded footpaths and skywalks.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru Traffic) Kartik Reddy and BlackBuck CEO Yabaji did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Despite Andhra’s efforts, no company will leave Bengaluru: MB Patil

Industries Minister MB Patil said his team contacted BlackBuck CEO Rajesh Yabaji, who admitted he had not expected his post to gain such traction.

Patil told DH: "He (Yabaji) said that while he did have frustrations regarding the ORR, he was still weighing his options. Bengaluru, like any global city, faces such issues as it grows. But we are working on solutions with the tunnel road and upcoming metro line. Rest assured, no company or industry is leaving Bengaluru because of these issues, no matter how much Andhra Pradesh tries its luck."