Bengaluru buses lose the fast lane

Bus Priority Lanes hit a road block even as ORR chokes with Metro construction and back-to-work commuters

Transport is one of the key emission sources for Bengaluru as vehicle exhaust and on-road dust resuspension account for a combined 56% and 70% of total PM2.5 and PM10 emissions, respectively. There was a silver lining in the dust cloud -- air quality during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 improved significantly. The restrictions imposed on plying owner-driven vehicles, especially cars, resulted in decreased traffic congestion and pollution levels.

The city’s air quality improved by around 30% just 45 days into the lockdown. It did not last long, as our analysis of satellite data showed. According to Behind the Smokescreen report, a year after initial nationwide lockdowns, Bengaluru witnessed a spike of 90% in NO2 pollution.

BPL: Yes or no?

Bengaluru ranks 10th in the world in the list of cities with high traffic congestion levels. But that has not stopped the city from debating the merits of Bus Priority Lanes (BPL) in the Outer Ring Circles. The lane bollards were removed even as studies pointed to its benefits.

Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) plays a crucial role for the city. From connecting remote places to reducing road congestions, it provides mobility to lakhs of Bengalurians. According to Karnataka Economic Survey 2021-22, BMTC provides transport to 50% of commuters in Bengaluru. On an average, public buses, making up just 0.15 per cent of the total vehicle population in the city, help move half of the commuters in the city!

The city got its first ever BPL as a result of a first-of-its-kind citizen movement. The citizens had demanded public spaces dedicated exclusively for public transport to get a respite from the choking traffic. As intended, the BPL helped improve predictability, increase the service supply along the corridor, and also resulted in improved bus ridership and revenue.

A recent report, submitted by IISc to BMTC, found that there was a significant improvement in travel times after the introduction of dedicated lanes; for the worst 10% of the travel times, the report finds improvement between 4% and 28%.

However, due to the ongoing metro construction in the ORR network and the resultant opposition to BPL, there is growing concern for its future.

The traffic congestion on ORR, one of the most prominent corporate clusters in the city, should be definitely addressed. But are we asking the right questions? As many companies are calling their employees back to office, privately-owned cars are exerting more demand for the road. This, along with the ongoing metro work, has clogged the area. Thus, questioning the need for BPLs in the wake of the tailbacks is misdirected.

Not surprisingly, this is not the first time that private parties with vested interests have raised questions on public transportation systems and infrastructure. A few years ago, Delhi’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System also had to face strong opposition when private car users made a huge outcry against it, garnering their support from certain sections of the media. One of the brazen arguments against the BRT was that the car users are special and are wealth creators and therefore they deserve to travel faster. This raises a serious question: Is this city only for the elite?

Many case studies from across cities show us that dedicated bus lanes significantly improve the performance of bus services, while also encouraging private car users to shift to public transport. Along with cutting travel times short, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, research shows bus priority systems help improve traffic safety. The latest Karnataka Economic Survey 2021-22 highlighted that there is an immediate need for infusing Bus Rapid Transit Systems. It recommended building a BRT system for at least 200 km in Bengaluru to ease its traffic, and increase level the public trust in using public transport.

Rather than targeting the BPL, which in itself is a tried and tested solution for the daily gridlock, our focus should be on what causes the traffic.

At present, the DULT allows private company buses also on BPL. In this context, they will be setting the right examples if the major corporate companies in and en route the Outer Ring Road encourage their in-house employees to avail the public transport arrangement. Besides relieving the traffic problem, it can also influence the pollution levels in the area.

Another proven solution to the issue is a proper, flexible remote and hybrid work policy for the employees. The time is therefore right for citizens to take the side of the city and be the change. We should stop pointing our fingers at the Bus Priority Lane and instead, start walking towards the nearest bus stop, on our journey towards a clean, accessible and sustainable city for all.

(Avinash Chanchal is a campaign manager and Amruta S N, a campaigner with Greenpeace India)