Bangalore's traffic mess

The solution

A dream A Green Bangalore, with clean air, peaceful roads

The current nightmareTerrible pollution, road accidents, loss of trees, loss of homes and businesses to road widening

Can we forget the nightmareand

achieve the dream ?

The current strategyWiden roads to keep pace with traffic

Traffic is doubling every 5 years.Illogically, we are trying to doubleRoad space every 5 years.

Road space can never keep pace with vehicle population.

'Dog chasing its tail' strategy has failed all over the world

Congestion remains, despite endless road widening.

20-lane road in USA.

So what's the solution ?

Move to sustainable transport

Increase public transport, reduce private vehicles.Public transport = mass transport + taxis + autos

+Increase Non-motorized Transport (NMT)

Cycling and Walking

This is the only solution that will work in the long term.

Sustainable transport could lead to this

Reduce No. of vehicles by 75 % Commute time by 50 % Pollution by 80 % Spending on roads by 90 %

Increase spending onWater, Health care, Education, Electric power

Which mass transport ?

Metro ?Like London, Paris and New York, Bangalore needs400 km. of Metro tracks.

The other cities took 150 years to build 400 km. of Metro.Bangalore has taken 5 years to build 4 km.42 km. in phase 1 is going to cost Rs. 12,000 Cr.

1. Bangalore Metro will take 100 years, cost Rs. 1 Lakh Crore.2. We will not be alive to see its benefits.

MG Road, before Metro MG Road, after Metro

Road space used by a person in a bus is 3 % compared to a a car, 5 % compared to a 2-wheeler

Bus ?

150 people in carsand 2-wheelers

150 people in 2 buses

The bus already works, beautifully

The other half of Bangalore occupies this much road space in 6000 buses.

Proportionately

One half of Bangalore occupies this much road space in 36 Lakh private vehicles.

BMTC has 6000 buses, 0.5 % of the total vehicle population of 36,00000 (36 lakhs). It carries half the city's population.

Commuter rail ?

Will run on existing rail tracks, 405 km. distance.Connects all suburbs. Starts with 15 minute frequency, increases to 5-10 minutes in 7 years.Can start in 1 year, Rs. 8000 Crore total cost.

It's decision making time

Option 1

2010 20152005 2020 ?

Keep widening roads and destroying Bangalore+Wait for Metro for 100 years, cost Rs. 1 lakh Cr.

Air pollution, road accidents, loss of trees, loss of homes and businesses to road widening

Result

Option 2

For short commutes - Non-motorized transportCyclingWalking

For long commutes – public transportCommuter railBusTaxisAutos

A green Bangalore, with clean air, improved mobility, more money spent on healthcare, water, power, education

Result

Does it really need great intelligence to decide which option is better ?

Sustainable transport is too long term, OK for developed countries like Holland but not practical in a developing country ?

See How sustainable transport can be implemented in Bangalore.

But you think it is Utopian ?

1. Start practising sustainable transport – take public transport, cycle or walk whenever possible. Can you start by not driving to that neighbourhood shop that's half a km. away ?

2. Reduce your addiction to your private vehicle, in stages.

3. Convince friends that sustainable transport is the only way to go – personally, through social media, etc.

4. Participate in campaigns pushing for sustainable transport – email, petitions, public meetings, demonstrations – in whatever way you can.

What you can do

“A Developed country is not a place where the Poor have cars, it's where the Rich use Public Transport”

- Enrique Peñalosa, former Mayor of Bogota, Columbia, and sustainable transport guru

Further readingSome of the articles are a couple of years old. The data may be slightly old, but the essence of the arguments does not change.

Why the Metro is not a solution

Why road widening is stupid

Enrique Penalosa - Brief biography

Interview with Enrique Penalosa

Bangalore commuter rail

Groups working for sustainable transportWant to join and work in a group working for sustainable transport in Bangalore? You can contribute your time, skills and money.Join Praja.in