<p>The Karnataka government’s decision to set up an omnibus authority comprising various agencies to draw up a comprehensive mobility plan for the city is welcome. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill tabled in the Assembly by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai recently seeks to establish a ‘Transport for London’-like body that will bring coordination and cohesion among the multiple agencies that currently handle Bengaluru’s traffic, often working in silos, or even at cross-purposes. The Bill, however, will have to wait till December when the legislature reconvenes for the winter session, and the government should use this window to consult with civil society and traffic management experts to plug any shortcomings. In order to facilitate holistic coordination, the proposed authority will comprise the BBMP, BDA, BMRDA, BMRCL, the Railways and the NHAI, among others. However, if any meaningful solution has to be found, Bengaluru Traffic Police and citizens’ groups, which understand the mobility problems in the city best, should also be actively involved.</p>.<p>With Bengaluru ranking sixth among 10 cities across the world with the ‘worst traffic’ as per a recent TomTom Traffic Index, a comprehensive mobility plan is long overdue. According to Bommai, Bengaluru has 8.5 million vehicles. The new authority will finalise policies on parking, non-motorised transport, transit-oriented development, multi-nodal integration and freight transport, with its proposed mobility plan overseeing the needs of pedestrians, cycle tracks, road standards, signal optimisation, and infrastructure. This comes as a whiff of fresh air as until now, an integrated approach was missing, with the focus so far having been largely on adding more and more ill-designed flyovers and underpasses, with little attention to building an efficient public transport system. With land acquisition being a persistent problem, the government also proposes to adopt a multi-level transport system where roads, metro lines and flyovers are connected by a single pillar structure. However, it remains to be seen how far multi-modal integration will be successful as at present seamless transit is difficult with metro stations and bus stands across the city located at a distance from each other and last-mile connectivity for commuters to and from homes, offices and shopping areas continues to be a far cry.</p>.<p>At least on paper, the government’s grand proposal offers some hope for Bengalureans. It is too early to say if the city’s traffic troubles will be a thing of the past given how such well-meaning proposals get entrenched in the bureaucratic labyrinth, never to see the light of the day. Nonetheless, the government has made a good beginning.</p>
<p>The Karnataka government’s decision to set up an omnibus authority comprising various agencies to draw up a comprehensive mobility plan for the city is welcome. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill tabled in the Assembly by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai recently seeks to establish a ‘Transport for London’-like body that will bring coordination and cohesion among the multiple agencies that currently handle Bengaluru’s traffic, often working in silos, or even at cross-purposes. The Bill, however, will have to wait till December when the legislature reconvenes for the winter session, and the government should use this window to consult with civil society and traffic management experts to plug any shortcomings. In order to facilitate holistic coordination, the proposed authority will comprise the BBMP, BDA, BMRDA, BMRCL, the Railways and the NHAI, among others. However, if any meaningful solution has to be found, Bengaluru Traffic Police and citizens’ groups, which understand the mobility problems in the city best, should also be actively involved.</p>.<p>With Bengaluru ranking sixth among 10 cities across the world with the ‘worst traffic’ as per a recent TomTom Traffic Index, a comprehensive mobility plan is long overdue. According to Bommai, Bengaluru has 8.5 million vehicles. The new authority will finalise policies on parking, non-motorised transport, transit-oriented development, multi-nodal integration and freight transport, with its proposed mobility plan overseeing the needs of pedestrians, cycle tracks, road standards, signal optimisation, and infrastructure. This comes as a whiff of fresh air as until now, an integrated approach was missing, with the focus so far having been largely on adding more and more ill-designed flyovers and underpasses, with little attention to building an efficient public transport system. With land acquisition being a persistent problem, the government also proposes to adopt a multi-level transport system where roads, metro lines and flyovers are connected by a single pillar structure. However, it remains to be seen how far multi-modal integration will be successful as at present seamless transit is difficult with metro stations and bus stands across the city located at a distance from each other and last-mile connectivity for commuters to and from homes, offices and shopping areas continues to be a far cry.</p>.<p>At least on paper, the government’s grand proposal offers some hope for Bengalureans. It is too early to say if the city’s traffic troubles will be a thing of the past given how such well-meaning proposals get entrenched in the bureaucratic labyrinth, never to see the light of the day. Nonetheless, the government has made a good beginning.</p>
