Bengaluru: The garden city might have many hues to attract people from across the globe, but they have one thing to crib about the city and that is the traffic hassle.
Traffic woes continue to haunt Bengalureans
The recently released data by the central transport survey report supports heavily to the argument. Namma Bengaluru continues to be at second place in number of vehicular traffic with staggering 61.7 lac vehicles plying on roads everyday. Bengaluru stands next only to Delhi, which has 88 lac vehicles on road everyday. The numbers include inflow traffic from other place which contributed about 7 lac vehicles.
But, in terms of traffic density and vehicles per population ratio Bengaluru stands first.
Bengaluru has 61 lac vehicles against 91 lac population within Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which would mean almost three out of four persons owns or uses vehicles in the city. At the other end, Delhi NCR has about 2.5 crore population and has 88 lac vehicles. The comparative figures says all how Bengaluru traffic is not something to be proud of.
In other metros, the scenario is quite different.
After state capital and national capital, Chennai stands at third place with 44.7 lac vehicles, while Kolkata stands at fourth place with 38.6 lac vehicles. Interestingly the financial capital of the nation, Mumbai has fewest vehicles among metros with just 27 lac vehicles, thanks to amazing public transport system in the city. The state traffic statistics say that Bengaluru is adding more than 1,000 vehicles everyday on road at present with 11 RTOs in the city.
According to a survey conducted jointly by several organisations, Bengaluru’s scenario seems to be going towards catastrophic, as the existing roads of city are capable of handling just 29 lac vehicles. But other cities like Chennai and Mumbai roads have greater capacity of roads which can afford more vehicles in future too. In general, almost 70 percent of vehicles plying on road in Indian metros are two-wheelers. Only Mumbai has lesser percentage of two wheelers, sources said.
According to Ranganath, one of the propagandist of car pooling and other initiatives, said that the psyche of Bengaluru residents are different where owning multiple vehicles is a fashion and issue of pride, whether they are necessary or not.
“Owning vehicles is an prestigious matter. They think travelling by public transport is below their status, no matter he or she is an peon or a CEO of a Company,” he said. Little differing with the argument, Gowthami, a senior official with an MNC told newskarnataka.com, that lack of appropriate public transport system in the city is pushing people to frenzily buy vehicles, she said.
Whatever be the reason, the romping number of vehicles is taking toll on the city.
