Bengaluru: "Haye Rey Bengaluru traffic", loss of Rs 19,725 crore every year; claim in the study

Rs 19,725 crore is being lost every year due to traffic in Bengaluru alone. This is not us but it has been claimed in a study. Traffic delay, congestion, stoppage of signals, loss of time, and loss of fuel are the main reasons for this.

Renowned traffic and mobility expert MN Srihari and his team have made these estimates. Srihari, the advisor to several governments and smart cities on transport, has submitted a report to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. The report includes recommendations on traffic management, road planning, flyovers, and other things.

Despite having a flyover, it is in a bad condition

Despite Bengaluru having 60 flyovers, Srihari and his team found that the IT hub suffers a loss of Rs 19,725 crore due to delays, congestion, signals, speeding, and slow-moving vehicles. As per the report, due to the increasing job in the IT sector, all the related facilities like housing, and education have increased. This resulted in a rapid increase in population to 14.5 million and the vehicle population has grown to close to 15 million.

What does the report say?

The report states that Bengaluru is set to grow from 88 square kilometers to 985 square kilometers in 2023. It is also proposed to be expanded to 1,100 sq km. On the other hand, the total road length of about 11,000 km is not enough to meet the transportation demand and trips. There has been a huge economic loss in terms of delays, congestion, higher travel time, and direct and indirect costs.

Srihari emphasized the need to plan and construct roads in line with the radial, outward, and circumstantial growth of the city. The report added that the existing CRS (commuter rail system) has also been permitted by the Indian Railways to support the transport network of Bengaluru.

What suggestions were given?

To ease traffic, the team has suggested removing roadside parking.

Srihari said that as a transport expert, 'I have failed to show a single street without parking in Bengaluru.'

Recommends increase in mass transport like metro, monorail, high capacity buses

Deploy adequate personnel in addition to camera and sensor systems

There is also a suggestion to encourage air transport in the next 10 years.

The report suggests discouraging private transport to meet this target.

Suggestion to encourage public transport

Also Read: Delhi Ordinance Bill: Amit Shah targets Delhi's Kejriwal government, opens secrets of vigilance files