Congestion fee? Fix bus fleet first

Such a tax in Bengaluru will work only if it is accompanied by efficient public transport.

The Karnataka government’s recent announcement to introduce a congestion charge on Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), as part of its 90-day action plan to ease traffic and improve the city’s infrastructure, has sparked a heated debate. Some have welcomed the plan as a necessary step, while many others have criticised it as a ‘penalty’. To arrive at an informed decision on this matter, there is no substitute for data that clearly captures public perception of the congestion tax and the cost that Bengaluru’s residents pay daily due to traffic jams.

Congestion costs Bengaluru an estimated Rs 20,000 crore annually, amounting to 5% of the city’s GDP. This means that every commuter in Bengaluru, regardless of what they do and how much they earn, is paying the invisible cost of around Rs 55 per trip in lost time and opportunity. 

A more nuanced study of public opinion done by Asar Social Impact Advisors in December 2023, ‘Exploring Public Sentiment on the Proposed Congestion Tax in Bengaluru’, offers insights into how Bengalureans view congestion pricing. Far from outright rejection, there is cautious optimism.

Almost 74% believe a congestion charge could reduce traffic, especially younger and female respondents. Scepticism largely comes from higher-income and older groups. About 67% would support the charge if it helps them save between half an hour to two hours in their daily commute; 43% prefer peak-hour levies on congested routes like ORR rather than a citywide or round-the-clock charge; 75% say they are likely to reduce personal vehicle use in response to a congestion tax. Improved frequency of services (44.5%), better walking/cycling infrastructure (45%), and shorter travel times (42%) are the top motivations for switching to public transport. About 78% view public input as very important for implementing a congestion fee, with broad consensus across demographics.

The message is clear: Bengalureans are willing to try congestion pricing, but only if it is implemented with the goal of reducing commute time, complemented with improvements in public transport, and designed with public input.

Global evidence supports this optimism. London’s congestion charge, introduced in 2003, led to a 30% reduction in peak-hour traffic, and the net revenue of around £136 million generated annually is exclusively used to improve public transport. It has also led to a 33% increase in bus usage.

Singapore pioneered technology-driven dynamic congestion pricing in the 1970s, combining it with world-class buses, metros, and walking networks. Stockholm, after an initially unpopular trial in 2006, saw traffic drop by 22% and public approval rise to 53% once results became visible.

Bengaluru has just 7,007 buses for 1.4 crore people, which translates to 50 buses per lakh population, compared to London’s 89 and Singapore’s and Stockholm’s 98. To reach Singapore and Stockholm’s ratio, Bengaluru would need to nearly double its bus fleet.

BMTC buses connecting other parts of the city to the ORR carry nearly two lakh passengers daily, similar to the number of private vehicles that ply on the ORR every day. Yet buses are often stuck in the same jams with no priority lanes. Bengaluru is the third-most traffic-congested city in the world despite having fewer cars per capita than London. The reason is not excessive car ownership, but inadequate public transport, forcing dependence on private vehicles.

For a congestion charge on ORR to work, Bengaluru must move quickly on four fronts:

1) Expand the bus fleet and frequency: The ORR needs a significant increase in BMTC services, with priority lanes where possible. Improved frequency and shorter travel times are the top motivations for switching to public transport.

2) Fix first- and last-mile connectivity: Affordable and regular feeder shuttles for first and last-mile connectivity, safer footpaths, walking and cycling lanes, and reliable metro-bus linkages can make buses a default choice.

3) Corporate responsibility: Bengaluru firms could subsidise BMTC passes, incentivise staggered work timings, or offer bonuses for employees who switch to public transport.

4) Transparent use of revenues: With 78% of residents demanding accountability, revenues should be ring-fenced for visible improvements — more buses, better bus stops, enhanced service quality, and improved accessibility.

Congestion pricing is not about punishing car users. It is about valuing road space fairly. A single bus carrying 60 passengers should not be trapped behind 60 cars each carrying one, especially since cars on ORR emit 25 times more CO2 per kilometre than buses.

The ORR is Bengaluru’s economic backbone. If a congestion charge here succeeds, it can be scaled to other corridors. If it fails, the political fallout could set back traffic reform for years. Success will depend not on how much is charged, but what commuters get in return.

(Achuthan is senior researcher - Sustainable Mobility, Asar Social Impact Advisors; Priyanka is head of communications - Sustainable Mobility, Asar Social Impact Advisors)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.