After several failed attempts, agencies in the city have finally implemented a bus priority lane. Though the notification issued by the police says that the lane will cover the 17-km stretch from Central Silk Board to Tin Factory (K.R. Puram) and another 3-km stretch towards Byappanahalli, work has not been completed on the entire route.
Work between Lowry Memorial College, near K.R. Puram Railway Station, and Iblur Junction is done. “The lane is being demarcated from Iblur Junction to Silk Board,” said a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official.
After citizens’ groups and motorists raised concerns over the installation bollards, the BBMP decided against using them and resolved to demarcate the bus lane on either side of the road with a yellow line. The lane will have stretches painted in red at regular intervals.
A BMTC official said the red demarcation would serve as a caution to other motorists against driving on the priority lane. “While some will serve as bus stops, others are points of indication of the lane’s continuity from a flyover or underpass, where the lane cannot be strictly followed,” the official said.
Sanjeev V. Dyamannavar, an urban mobility expert, said the success of the dedicated bus lane would depend on coordination between departments and, importantly, cooperation from the public. “The BMTC should ply buses on a regularly basis at proper intervals. There also should be buses that run exclusively along the dedicated stretch of bus lane only. This will inspire and facilitate people to use public transportation,” Mr. Dyamannavar said.
Suggestions
As the dedicated bus lane is on the extreme left of the road, commuters are worried that it will interrupt access to service roads from the main road. “Almost the whole stretch of ORR has service lanes running in parallel. To enter or exit the main road will be problematic,” said Udaya Kumari, a resident of Karthik Nagar on ORR. She said signals should be installed so that the change of lane is smooth.
Nitin Mallikarjun, an activist and ORR commuter, said that even school buses should be allowed on the bus priority lane. “The authorities should plan a connected network across the city so that there is continuity with a proper movable barricading system,” he said.
