Bangalore Bus Rapid Transit System

Last updated

Bangalore BRTS
Overview
Owner Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Locale Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Transit type Bus rapid transit
Operation
Operation will startCancelled
Operator(s) Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation
Technical
System length282 kilometres (175 mi)

Bangalore BRTS was a proposed bus rapid transit system in Bangalore, Karnataka. Beginning with a comprehensive report in 2007, and even earlier, several proposals were made to implement a BRTS in Bangalore.

Contents

In December 2016, the Karnataka Government cancelled the project. Mahendra Jain, additional chief secretary (urban development department), stated that the government did not consider the project feasible "as we have already planned for the Namma Metro." He further explained, "The decision was taken because there was no sufficient road width available for the BRTS. The balance carriage way would be very less so we decided not to take it forward. As we have planned for Metro, two public transportation systems cannot be executed on one stretch." [1]

Recommendations in CTTP, 2007

A transport survey carried out in 2007, referred to as CTTP, [2] recommended Bangalore BRTS, with 14 routes totaling 282 km. CTTP recommended following routes :

BRTS lanes under the flyover at the junction of Sarjapur Road and Outer Ring Road at Agara. BRTS-Lanes-Agara-Flyover.jpg
BRTS lanes under the flyover at the junction of Sarjapur Road and Outer Ring Road at Agara.

Bus Priority Lane

To avoid the traffic congestion and its impact on public transport, Bengaluru Traffic Police and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation initiated Bus Priority Lane in part of Outer Ring Road Bangalore in November 2019. [3] To impose this, BTP has [4] decided to have traffic fines for private vehicle drivers on violating Bus Priority Lanes.

Separating public buses from other private vehicles in dedicated lanes, protects them from traffic congestion and delays and improves the reliability of public services. The smoother driving also saves fuel and makes buses a more appealing mode of travel during peak hours. And this will help in controlling air and noise pollution and also to attracts more private vehicle users to shared transports. [5]

A servery conducted by Citizen for Bangalore (a civic activist group) shows that also revealed that the number of people spending over two hours daily on bus commute has substantially reduced by 62 per cent since the introduction of the city's first BPL on the Silk Board-K R Puram route. [6]

Other proposals

There have also been other proposals for BRTS routes, some of these talk of new routes, and some overlap with CTTP recommendations.

Radial Corridors

In 2009, on recommendation from Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development (ABIDe), City of Bangalore started investments to enhance 12 radial corridors for land based public transport. A distinctly branded bus service called Big10 was started by BMTC as part of the project. There are proposals to consider some of these corridors for BRTS.

Ring Roads

CTTP and few other proposals have talked of implementing BRTS on two large ring roads in Bangalore. BRTS was considered by BDA for Outer Ring Road, but the road has instead been taken for conversion to a signal free corridor. BRTS has also been talked about for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR). However, since PRR itself is still in design and planning stage, there has not been much progress regarding BRTS

Issues and opposition

Some local public transport observers and citizens feel [7] that most road corridors are too narrow for developing dedicated lanes for BRTS. Further, enforcement of traffic is generally seen to be weak, and many doubt if the city will be able to enforce dedicate lanes. Last, many feel that city is not mature yet to accept dedicated lanes, and private vehicle users may not like the proposal.

However, many feel that despite public statements of support for the concept, BRTS implementations have not made big progress due to lack of clear ownership between BMTC, BBMP, BDA and City Traffic Police.

CTTP or Ring Road recommendations

The State Government has not taken up all recommendations from CTTP. BDA has been working on parts of the proposal since 2008. [8] More recently, in early 2010, BDA had started on a detailed project report to implement BRTS on the eastern loop Outer Ring Road. [9]

Bus Priority System

To work over the perceptions against BRTS, Praja Bangalore, a citizen advocacy group is pushing for Bus Priority System, wherein there would be dedicated lanes, specialized signals, underpasses for the buses only at the critical choke points on critical radial corridors. Bangalore could move towards full-fledged BRTS once the benefits of Bus Priority help work over the negative perceptions.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic City</span> Suburb of Bangalore, India

Electronic City is an information technology hub in Bangalore, India, located in Anekal taluk. Spread over 800 acres (3.2 km²) near Konappana Agrahara and Doddathogur it houses a large number of electronic/IT industrial parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domlur</span> Neighbourhood in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Domlur is a small township located in the eastern part of Bangalore city in India. Domlur was included in the erstwhile Bangalore Civil and Military Station under the British Madras Presidency till it was transferred to the Mysore State in 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hebbal, Bangalore</span> Neighbourhood in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Hebbal, is a neighbourhood in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, which was once indicative of the north endpoint of the city. Though originally famous for Hebbal Lake, it is now better known for the serpentine maze of flyovers that network the Outer Ring Road and Airport Road on NH 44. The flyover spans a length of 5.23 kilometres (3.2 mi) over all the loops combined. The flyover was built by Gammon India. The lake area in Hebbal is well-known for its picnic spots, a well-maintained park, boating facilities and for the bird watching opportunities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outer Ring Road, Bangalore</span> Road in Karnataka, India

The Outer Ring Road (ORR), officially renamed as ಡಾ.ಪುನೀತ್ ರಾಜ್‌ಕುಮಾರ್ ವರ್ತುಲ ರಸ್ತೆ (Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar Vartula Raste), is a ring road that runs around most of the perimeter of the city of Bangalore, Karnataka, India. This 60-kilometre-long (37 mi) road was developed by the Bangalore Development Authority and different sections were opened progressively between 1996 and 2002. IT firms on the Outer Ring Road generate revenue of US$ 22 billion every year, accounting for 32% of Bengaluru’s total IT revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namma Metro</span> Rapid transit system in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Namma Metro, also known as Bengaluru Metro, is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bengaluru, the capital city of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the second-longest operational metro network in India with an operational length of 76.95 kilometers, just behind Delhi Metro. Upon its inauguration in 2011, it became the first underground metro system in South India. Namma Metro has a mix of underground, at grade, and elevated stations. Out of the 68 operational metro stations of Namma Metro as of November 2024, there are 59 elevated stations, eight underground stations and one at-grade station. The system runs on standard-gauge tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangalore Development Authority</span> Planning authority of Bangalore, India

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) of Bangalore, India, is a governmental organization and the principal planning authority for Bangalore in accordance with the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act. Its functions, carried out under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act of 1961, include preparing a Comprehensive Development Plan for the Bangalore Metropolitan Region. It also oversees planning and development of infrastructure, provision of development-related sites and services, the housing needs of underprivileged citizens in Bangalore and is currently the city's largest land developer. No other authority or person may undertake development within the Bangalore Metropolitan Region without the permission of the BDA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation</span> Transport corporation of Karnataka

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, officially Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), is a state-owned public road transport corporation in the Indian city of Bangalore. It is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka. It serves the Bangalore Metropolitan Region. As of 28 September 2024, it has a fleet of 6340 vehicles.

Begur is a suburb of Bangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located off Bengaluru-Hosur highway. It is said to have been a prominent place during the rule of the Western Ganga Dynasty and later the Chola Kingdom.

Bengaluru is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is India's third largest city and fifth largest metropolitan area. Modern Bengaluru was founded in 1537 CE by Kempe Gowda, a vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire. Kempe Gowda built a mud fort in the vicinity of modern Bengaluru. By 1831, the city was incorporated into the British Raj with the establishment of the Bangalore Cantonment. The British returned dominion of the city to the King of Mysore, choosing however, to retain jurisdiction over the cantonment. Therefore, Bengaluru essentially became a twin city, with civic and infrastructural developments of the cantonment conforming to European styles of planning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kengeri</span> Suburb in Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka, India

Kengeri is a western suburb of Bangalore city, located along Mysore Road.It is bordered by Nagarbhavi and Ullal to the north, Rajarajeshwari Nagar to the east, Kumbalgodu to the west and Uttarahalli to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangalore–Mysore Infrastructure Corridor</span> Express-Bypass from Tumkur Road(NH48) to Hosur Road(NH44), serving as a partial ring road.

The Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Road, commonly known as NICE Road, is a partially implemented and largely scrapped 4 to 6 lane private tolled expressway in Karnataka, that was intended to connect the two important cities Bengaluru and Mysuru in the Indian state of Karnataka. It will not be implemented, as Bengaluru–Mysuru access-controlled Highway part of NH 275 is going to replace it as a section of the new Bengaluru–Mangaluru Industrial Corridor (EC-34).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengaluru Commuter Rail</span> Planned suburban rail network in Bangalore, India

Bengaluru Suburban Railway is an under-construction suburban rail network for the city of Bangalore. A suburban rail system for the city was first proposed in 1983. Since then, several different route proposals were made but no suburban rail project took shape. It was finally approved in the 2019 Railway Budget.

Located in South Bangalore, Karnataka, India, Kumaraswamy Layout is a sub locality in Banashankari.

The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Traffic and Transit Management Center (Atal Bihari Vajpayee TTMC) is a bus station in Shantinagara, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Long-distance luxury express buses of KSRTC, APSRTC, SETC and PRTC. Buses to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry depart from this bus station. It is also a transit bus station for BMTC buses.

Krishnagiri, headquarters of Krishnagiri District, which is the Northern Gateway to Tamil Nadu, is well connected to all parts of south India by a strong network of national highways.

Transport in Bengaluru consists of several intracity commute modes such as BMTC buses, Namma Metro rail services, taxis and auto rickshaws, as well as several intercity forms of transport: Government operated KSRTC, NWKRTC, KKRTC, other states RTC buses, Private bus operators, trains, and flights.

The Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) is a proposed 12-lane ring road that runs around Bangalore, Karnataka,. It will have 8-lane access-controlled main carriageway along with 2-lane service roads on both sides. It is outside of Outer Ring Road, Bangalore, which is a 60-kilometre-long road.

The Tin Factory junction is a road junction in Bangalore, India. Located near Krishnarajapuram railway station on Old Madras Road, the junction witnesses high traffic congestion and is one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the city. The junction connects the Outer Ring Road IT cluster of Mahadevapura–Marathahalli–Bellandur with areas along the National Highway 44 such as Hebbal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marathahalli metro station</span> Upcoming Namma Metro station under Blue Line

Marathahalli is an important upcoming elevated metro station on the North-South corridor of the Blue Line of Namma Metro in Bangalore, India. This metro station serves mainly the Marathahalli suburban area and als WeWork, a coworking space company in South Bengaluru and the main Marathahalli Bridge that connects Kundalahalli area and HAL Aerospace Museum along with the Outer Ring Road which leads towards Hebbal in the north and Silk Board in the south. This metro station is slated to become operational around June 2026.

HBR Layout is an upcoming elevated metro station on the north–south corridor of the Blue Line of Namma Metro in Bangalore, India. Around this metro station comprises the main Hennur Bio-Diversity Park followed by prime locations like VBR PU College, Sun Technology Integrators Pvt. Ltd., Bhima Jewellers, a couple of car company showrooms like Nissan, Mahindra, Hyundai and prime neighbouring areas like Hennur, Lingarajapuram and Outer Ring Road leading towards Hebbal in the north and Kalyan Nagar, Krishnarajapuram and Silk Board in the south. This metro station is stated to become operational around June 2026.

References

  1. "Nine years on, govt says 'no' to BRTS - Bangalore Mirror -". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  2. "The CTTP Report".
  3. "Bus Priority Lane in Bengaluru". 16 November 2019.
  4. "Traffic Fines for miss using Bus Priority Lanes". The Hindu . 15 November 2019.
  5. "Dedicated_Bus_Lanes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  6. "Bengaluru's bus priority lane reduces travel time, finds citizen survey". 26 November 2019.
  7. "Analysis of BRTS issues at Praja".
  8. "BDA team visits Pune for BRTS". 25 September 2008.
  9. "BDA taking up Bus Rapid System on Outer Ring Road". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 2 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010.