With an aim to limit the growing number of private vehicles being registered in traffic-choked Bengaluru, the draft Comprehensive Mobility Planning policy has proposed reserved parking as a pre-requisite for registration of new vehicles.
The city’s vehicle population has crossed 83 lakh and registration of private vehicles, like cars and bikes, has increased at an alarming rate. Successive governments had proposed various plans to restrict the registration of new private vehicles, but failed to take proactive steps.
The policy is primarily aimed at providing a robust mass transit network in the city and shifting people from private modes of transport to public transport. It states: “The explosive growth in registration of personal vehicles and the corresponding growth in the number of trips fulfilled using personal two-wheelers and cars has led to negative consequences for congestion and environmental stress.”
Congestion fee
The draft has also proposed introducing a congestion fee and recommends that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) should be entrusted with charging congestion fee.
To promote mass transit system in the city, the policy envisages a public transport network that will cover 803 km by 2031. It will include a 317-km metro network, suburban rail network of 177 km, priority bus lane corridors in different stretches totalling 202 km, and Bus Rapid Transport System and Metro lite for 107 km on NICE Road and the Peripheral Ring Road.
The policy has recommended measures to mobilise funds for future mass transit projects and upgrade existing infrastructure.
It states that cess and and surcharge should be expanded to cover State excise duty, and the rates of these cess and surcharge should also be enhanced to mobilise additional ₹2,000 crore per annum over and above the current level of around ₹750 crore.
The report also proposes increasing the cess on motor vehicle tax from 10% to 20% throughout the State and increasing surcharge on stamp duty and registration fee on land transactions in Bengaluru from 2% to 10%.
Another recommendation is to levy 10% cess on State excise duty and additional excise duty on sale of liquor in Bengaluru.
