GBA plans to improve road network to ease traffic congestiion in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Bengaluru has earned the dubious distinction of being the second-most congested city in the world, according to a recent report. The Greater Authority (GBA) attributes the traffic woes to the city’s narrow roads. The GBA is exploring various solutions to alleviate the traffic congestion. The main reasons for the traffic congestion are the narrow roads and lack of road widening, leading to increased vehicle density.

The GBA plans to address the issue through road widening, tunnel roads, underpasses, white-topping, and construction of additional lanes, commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said. The Outer Ring Road is expected to ease traffic, and areas like Vijayanagar and Malleshwaram are currently less congested. The GBA is working on multiple plans to control traffic, including tunnel roads and other projects.

Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao told Public TV, “Traffic congestion is a serious issue and needs a multi-pronged approach and we are talking to all the stakeholders. There are a few issues to be considered — the number of private vehicles, public/mass transport, condition of the roads and their capacity. Compared to other cities, the road capacity in Bengaluru is less — about 8-10 per cent — whereas in other cities, it is as high as 50 per cent. So we have to increase road percentage and one of the solutions discussed is the north-south and east-west tunnel roads as it reduces traffic in the main corridors”.

“Elevated corridors will also help reduce traffic congestion. In last year’s budget, it was proposed to build 30 km of elevated roads at Rs 14,000 crore. In areas where development is going on, if we develop our road network beforehand, it will be of benefit. We are focussing on how we can get the major road networks done in the city”, he added.