CONTEXT

• Global Ranking: Bengaluru’s recent ranking as the tenth most traffic-congested city worldwide highlights the severity of its mobility issues.
• Perennial Traffic Woes: The city has long struggled with traffic due to its increasing population and vehicular surge.
• Intermittent Solutions: Solutions to the traffic problem, such as the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), elevated corridors, and tunnel roads, have been proposed but face challenges and controversies.

STATE AGENCIES’ EFFORTS AND CHALLENGES

• Diverse Approaches: Multiple state agencies tackle traffic congestion through metrorail, bus, and suburban rail services, network expansion, flyovers, and road widening.
• Elusive Solutions: Despite efforts, congestion relief remains challenging, highlighting the complexity of Bengaluru’s mobility issues.

COMPREHENSIVE MOBILITY PLAN (CMP) CRITIQUE

• Debate Over “Comprehensive” and “Mobility-centric”: The Directorate of Urban Land Transport, tasked with planning for city mobility, launched the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) in 2020.The CMP’s comprehensiveness and focus on mobility are subject to debate due to its interchange of “mobility” and “transportation,” which have distinct meanings.
• Definition Differences: While “mobility” encompasses access, safety, and affordability, “transportation” specifically refers to the movement of people and vehicles.
• Primary Focus on Transportation: The CMP primarily concentrates on transportation, strengthening road infrastructure to address congestion caused by private vehicle usage.

INCLUSIVE MOBILITY CONCERNS IN CMP 2020

• Comprehensive Connectivity: A robust mobility plan should connect citizens to key areas like work, schools, hospitals, and entertainment while improving access to these places.
• Megaproject Emphasis: CMP 2020 emphasizes large-scale infrastructure projects like a 78-kilometre Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), 92 km of elevated corridors, 192 km of road widening, and parking infrastructure.
• Lack of Inclusivity: These megaprojects focus on road development without adequately prioritizing inclusive mobility, potentially neglecting the needs of non-motorized transport and public transit users.
• Private Vehicle Encouragement: Increasing road capacity without corresponding improvements in public transport can incentivize private vehicle purchases, contributing to congestion and environmental issues.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WITH PROPOSED PROJECTS

• PRR Project’s Land Acquisition: The proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project requires acquiring 800 acres of land, managed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). Environmental assessments suggest that about 1,036 hectares of land along a 73-km stretch will be acquired, leading to the loss of 32,175 trees and potential displacement of livelihoods from agricultural to urban land.
• Farmer Displacement and Compensation: Farmers have protested against land acquisition, demanding fair compensation and asserting their right to their land.
• Ecological Impact of Flyovers: Plans to build flyovers over lakes like Jakarbande, Chikkabanahalli, and Thirumenahalli raise concerns about the ecological consequences of altering these natural landscapes.

Backlash Against Elevated Corridors

• Environmental Concerns: Proposals for elevated corridors faced backlash due to environmental implications, leading to a temporary halt in the project.
• Disproportionate Focus on Road Infrastructure: Both elevated corridors and tunnel projects prioritize road development over public transport, contradicting sustainable urban mobility principles.

Debate Over Tunnel Roads

• Tunnel Road Proposal: A proposal for 150 km of tunnel roads, costing Rs 30,000 crore, is in the detailed project report stage, sparking debates about its alignment with the city’s long-term development goals.
• Exclusion from CMP: The tunnel road project’s exclusion from the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) raises questions about its coherence with Bengaluru’s overall urban development strategy.

CMP Integration Efforts

• Unified Framework: The Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) aims to integrate all public transport, paratransit, and associated infrastructure projects within a unified framework.

Establishment of BMLTA

• Legislative Advancement: In 2022, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority Bill, 2022, led to the formation of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA).
• Unified Planning Agency: BMLTA is positioned as a single planning agency for all transport initiatives within the Urban Mobility Region (UMR), aiming to address Bengaluru’s mobility challenges comprehensively.

Continued Challenges

• Misaligned Projects: Despite institutional advancements, Bengaluru’s mobility landscape faces issues with misaligned projects and siloed approaches.
• Conflict Example: For instance, the clash between the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited’s (BMRCL) Hebbal-Sarjapur metro, proposed to be underground, and the tunnel road proposed on the same route highlights the ongoing challenges.

CONCLUSION

In summary, Bengaluru’s urban mobility journey involves ambitious projects, environmental issues, institutional changes, and socio-economic impacts. The Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan stresses the need to consider climate impact and viability in heavy investment projects. A holistic approach, balancing infrastructure growth with environmental care and social fairness, is crucial for a sustainable, inclusive urban future.