Congestion calls for a unified mobility plan

Bengaluru needs a public transport-centred strategy, not piecemeal fixes for its parking problem

Bengaluru’s traffic crisis is now producing policy contradictions faster than it is generating solutions. One day, the city’s police propose a pay-and-park system within tech parks to discourage the use of private vehicles. The very next day, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) announces multi-level parking complexes across the city – an intervention that, by design, accommodates more private vehicles.

Nothing better illustrates how the government is contradicting itself, pushing one measure to curb private vehicles while simultaneously advancing another that enables more of them. Both proposals carry merit in isolation, yet together they reflect a government pulling in opposite directions instead of driving a coherent mobility strategy.

The police, grappling with the daily paralysis along the Outer Ring Road, are right to argue that free office parking has become a perverse incentive. With thousands of single-occupant cars occupying precious road space, introducing a fee could nudge a section of commuters towards shared or public transport.

But industry bodies have rightly countered that such a move, without improving BMTC frequency, road quality, and seamless access to tech parks, risks being punitive rather than transformative. The GBA’s plan for 66 automated, high-capacity parking complexes addresses a different problem: the scarcity of parking in commercial hubs, with the sites themselves having been identified by the police.

With 1,194 roads already declared no-parking zones and rampant violations choking mobility, the GBA argues that automated systems would optimise space and reduce chaos on arterial roads.

The problem is not the ideas but the absence of coordination. Bengaluru already has a blueprint: the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP), which envisions shifting the city from private-vehicle dependence to an integrated, public-transport-centred future. Its core pillars are clear: expand and integrate Metro, Suburban Rail, and BMTC; strengthen last-mile connectivity; promote walking and cycling; and disincentivise excessive private vehicle use through measures like congestion pricing. The CMP was meant to be implemented through a single command structure – the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA).

But the BMLTA, though enacted in 2023, remains largely on paper. Now, with the newly formed GBA wielding overarching powers, the Authority’s future looks even more uncertain. Yes, Bengaluru needs pay-and-park. Yes, it needs parking complexes. But these must be components of a unified mobility strategy, not piecemeal firefights. Implementing isolated measures without aligning them with the CMP is akin to treating a deep wound with a band-aid.

Ultimately, Bengaluru cannot tow, fine, or park its way out of congestion. The only sustainable solution is a reliable, high-frequency public transport system supported by seamless first- and last-mile connectivity. Anything else is simply putting the cart before the horse.