Bus priority lane in Kalaburagi, Vijayapura cities soon

The North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) is preparing a draft to create a bus priority lane (BPL) in Kalaburagi and Vijayapura cities.

Urban local bodies (ULBs), along with the transport utility, have decided to create the lane to provide sustainable transport mode. The BPL will be created within five km distance in the two cities.

An RTI query by DH revealed, “Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Bengaluru will provide complete financial assistance to create the bus priority lane. At least 3.5 metres of road on either side is required for it.

The project would cost around Rs 80 lakh to Rs 90 lakh per km to erect bollards, barricades and concrete structures. The DULT joint director held a video conference meeting thrice in September 2020 and it has been decided to create a single priority lane in Kalaburagi and Vijayapur cities on a pilot basis.

The lane will be created from the central bus stand to Sedam ring road via Rashtrapati Chowk, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Circle, Annapurna Cross, Basaveshwara Hospital in Kalaburagi. In Vijayapur city, the BPL will be created from the railway station to Al Ameen Medical College, Gol Gumbaz and Gandhi Chowk.

The issue was discussed in detail in the 63rd meeting of the board of directors of NEKRTC held in November 2020.

A NEKRTC official told DH that the objective of the bus priority lane was to provide fast, comfortable, safe, reliable and affordable public transport service to the commuters in the city and to address traffic jams at intersections.