<p>Signalling a shift from closed-door planning to open civic dialogue, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar recently met with Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya to discuss urban mobility in the city. At the heart of this discussion was the Rs-24,000 crore Tunnel Road project, a proposal that has reignited a debate on congestion, public transport, and the kind of city Bengaluru wants to become.</p>.<p>MP Tejasvi Surya has been vocal on the need for orienting mobility projects towards moving people and not just vehicles. He calls for strengthening the metro and public transport network and feels public transport usage on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) can be encouraged by deploying loop bus services between metro stations. DCM and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar supports metro expansion and public transport, but also sees double-decker metro lines, tunnels, and flyovers as critical infrastructure for a city short on space and with more than 1.2 crore vehicles.</p>.The bourgeoisie doesn’t run Bengaluru.<p>Mobility science consistently advocates for increasing the modal share of public transport, walking, and cycling to improve urban quality of life. However, decision-makers view congestion as the core issue rather than treating it as symptomatic of a deeper problem. This infrastructure-centric view is not unique to Bengaluru – cities such as Bhopal and Indore have demolished their bus rapid transit (BRTS) systems, and across India, flyovers remain the go-to solution.</p>.<p>The mainstream narrative prioritises cars, roads, and flyovers even though decades of urban experience indicate expanding bus networks, metro systems, cycling lanes, and pedestrian infrastructure leads to more equitable and sustainable cities. Such investments benefit all citizens, and not merely those who can afford private vehicles.</p>.<p>Public transport systems such as BMTC and Namma Metro are serving more people than ever, yet the time taken to commute continues to rise due to a rapid increase in the number of private vehicles, coupled with companies curtailing working from home (WFH) provisions for employees and poor road conditions.</p>.<p>The vehicle/capacity (V/C) ratio in the ORR corridor is three times what it is expected to be, as per a recent study by the Bengaluru Traffic Police. The BTP also reported a massive 37% drop in vehicular traffic on sections where the new Yellow Line Metro line began operations.</p>.<p>Many citizens and experts in the city are actively advocating for quality public transport, walking, and cycling infrastructure to reduce congestion and improve access for all. Research shows that large-scale infrastructure projects, such as flyovers, do not relieve traffic congestion. Instead, they tend to induce demand, encouraging greater private vehicle ownership and increasing traffic over time.</p>.<p><strong>A shift in discourse</strong></p>.<p>What we urgently need in our cities is more public discourse on issues that impact citizens directly. But this discourse must be based on scientific principles and systematic and periodic data collection, for it to have an impact. For example, looking closely at data that identifies travel demand and analysis can determine mobility solutions that are best suited for a particular city, area, or scenario.</p>.<p>We need resilient road networks, with secondary and tertiary roads, especially in the outer areas, as these regions become part of our growing cities. We may need tunnels and flyovers in strategic locations, but this need must be carefully analysed with due diligence on the environmental impact they leave over a period of time. What is needed is investment in integrated public transport systems that include trains, metro, and buses, as well as intermediate transport systems such as autos and cycling infrastructure. Continuous quality footpaths are a critical, yet often overlooked mode of mobility, and key to orienting our cities towards greater public transport uptake. The basis for making all of these decisions should be driven by quality granular data.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Karnataka has a long-standing tradition of civil discourse and consensus-building with citizens actively engaging and raising concerns about projects that may not align with long-term sustainability goals or that are not backed by relevant research. Bengaluru has witnessed several instances of citizens coming together to seek sustainable mobility solutions and the governments have even changed their course of action in certain instances.</p>.<p class="bodytext">That urban mobility is now being discussed openly, by several elected leaders, with facts and figures presented and contested, highlights the importance of constructive dialogue on issues that affect daily life in the city. This is a significant win for the citizens and sets a precedent for encouraging more such healthy debates in the public domain.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><span class="italic">(The writer is a Fellow at WRI India)</span></p>
<p>Signalling a shift from closed-door planning to open civic dialogue, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar recently met with Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya to discuss urban mobility in the city. At the heart of this discussion was the Rs-24,000 crore Tunnel Road project, a proposal that has reignited a debate on congestion, public transport, and the kind of city Bengaluru wants to become.</p>.<p>MP Tejasvi Surya has been vocal on the need for orienting mobility projects towards moving people and not just vehicles. He calls for strengthening the metro and public transport network and feels public transport usage on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) can be encouraged by deploying loop bus services between metro stations. DCM and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar supports metro expansion and public transport, but also sees double-decker metro lines, tunnels, and flyovers as critical infrastructure for a city short on space and with more than 1.2 crore vehicles.</p>.The bourgeoisie doesn’t run Bengaluru.<p>Mobility science consistently advocates for increasing the modal share of public transport, walking, and cycling to improve urban quality of life. However, decision-makers view congestion as the core issue rather than treating it as symptomatic of a deeper problem. This infrastructure-centric view is not unique to Bengaluru – cities such as Bhopal and Indore have demolished their bus rapid transit (BRTS) systems, and across India, flyovers remain the go-to solution.</p>.<p>The mainstream narrative prioritises cars, roads, and flyovers even though decades of urban experience indicate expanding bus networks, metro systems, cycling lanes, and pedestrian infrastructure leads to more equitable and sustainable cities. Such investments benefit all citizens, and not merely those who can afford private vehicles.</p>.<p>Public transport systems such as BMTC and Namma Metro are serving more people than ever, yet the time taken to commute continues to rise due to a rapid increase in the number of private vehicles, coupled with companies curtailing working from home (WFH) provisions for employees and poor road conditions.</p>.<p>The vehicle/capacity (V/C) ratio in the ORR corridor is three times what it is expected to be, as per a recent study by the Bengaluru Traffic Police. The BTP also reported a massive 37% drop in vehicular traffic on sections where the new Yellow Line Metro line began operations.</p>.<p>Many citizens and experts in the city are actively advocating for quality public transport, walking, and cycling infrastructure to reduce congestion and improve access for all. Research shows that large-scale infrastructure projects, such as flyovers, do not relieve traffic congestion. Instead, they tend to induce demand, encouraging greater private vehicle ownership and increasing traffic over time.</p>.<p><strong>A shift in discourse</strong></p>.<p>What we urgently need in our cities is more public discourse on issues that impact citizens directly. But this discourse must be based on scientific principles and systematic and periodic data collection, for it to have an impact. For example, looking closely at data that identifies travel demand and analysis can determine mobility solutions that are best suited for a particular city, area, or scenario.</p>.<p>We need resilient road networks, with secondary and tertiary roads, especially in the outer areas, as these regions become part of our growing cities. We may need tunnels and flyovers in strategic locations, but this need must be carefully analysed with due diligence on the environmental impact they leave over a period of time. What is needed is investment in integrated public transport systems that include trains, metro, and buses, as well as intermediate transport systems such as autos and cycling infrastructure. Continuous quality footpaths are a critical, yet often overlooked mode of mobility, and key to orienting our cities towards greater public transport uptake. The basis for making all of these decisions should be driven by quality granular data.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Karnataka has a long-standing tradition of civil discourse and consensus-building with citizens actively engaging and raising concerns about projects that may not align with long-term sustainability goals or that are not backed by relevant research. Bengaluru has witnessed several instances of citizens coming together to seek sustainable mobility solutions and the governments have even changed their course of action in certain instances.</p>.<p class="bodytext">That urban mobility is now being discussed openly, by several elected leaders, with facts and figures presented and contested, highlights the importance of constructive dialogue on issues that affect daily life in the city. This is a significant win for the citizens and sets a precedent for encouraging more such healthy debates in the public domain.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><span class="italic">(The writer is a Fellow at WRI India)</span></p>
