Phase-3 double decker corridor will not ease traffic in Bengaluru: Report
Bengaluru: Despite ongoing efforts by city administrators to tackle traffic congestion, including the ambitious 37-km double-decker (flyover-cum-Metro) corridor along the Phase-3 of Namma Metro, a Feasibility-cum-Detailed Project Report (DPR) suggests that the project may not reduce traffic as expected.
According to the executive summary of the report, which was cited by The New Indian Express on Monday, traffic flow analyses at key junctions between Kadabagere and Hosahalli, as well as along the JP Nagar to Hebbal corridor, show that even with the proposed elevated corridor, traffic at ground level is unlikely to decrease significantly. This indicates that the tolled elevated road may fail to alleviate surface road congestion.
A survey conducted as part of the DPR, involving 1,000 respondents, revealed that 78% of commuters experience peak-hour congestion between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., and 48% report heavy traffic between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. However, a whopping 91% of those surveyed said they would be unwilling to pay tolls for improved road infrastructure.
The report's executive summary also highlighted that traffic projections for the Kadabagere to Hosahalli corridor show only marginal relief from the proposed elevated road. By 2031, traffic between Kadabagere and Magadi Road would decrease from 1,837 to 1,369 Passenger Car Units (PCUs), and by 2041, it would further drop to 1,640 PCUs, the report stated. Similar modest reductions were noted across other junctions of the corridor.
In the JP Nagar to Hebbal corridor, traffic flow between five major junctions showed similarly small improvements. For instance, the PCUs between JP Nagar and Sarakki Junction would drop from 2,895 to 2,701 in 2031, and to 3,222 PCUs by 2041. The reductions across other junctions were similarly marginal.
Commenting on the minimal impact of the double-decker flyover on ground-level traffic, independent mobility expert Satya Arikutharam said that there is no transport justification for building the double-decker structure along the entire Phase-3 alignment. “A tolled facility doesn’t remove any significant surface road congestion. And if it is free, it impacts Metro viability,” TNIE quoted Arikutharam as saying.
He added that integrated structures work best in short sections, such as at Goraguntepalya Junction, where they can improve network efficiency.
Traffic expert Prof Sreehari M.N. also weighed in, stating that flyovers are not the solution to traffic woes. “Anywhere in the world, flyovers have failed to solve congestion. They quickly become uneconomical,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
He noted that the actual reduction in ground-level traffic is minimal, particularly in a city like Bengaluru, where traffic pressure is highly uneven, with peak and off-peak hours showing different patterns.
“During peak hours, the priority should be to increase the carrying capacity of public transport, not build more flyovers,” he further added.
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Withdraw 'disrespectful' remark against Rahul Gandhi and apologise: Pilot asks Rijiju
Mumbai (PTI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday hit out at Union minister Kiren Rijiju for passing a "disrespectful and inappropriate" remark against Rahul Gandhi, and asked him to apologise for it.
He was answering a query regarding Rijiju's reported statement in which he described Gandhi as the "most dangerous person" for India's security, and a purported video of a man claiming to be from Karni Sena issuing death threats to the Congress leader.
Addressing a press conference here, Pilot said, "When ordinary journalists criticise the government, they face FIRs and jail. But when threats are issued against the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), there is silence. This shows the government's intention. LoP is a constitutional position. To describe him as a security threat is inappropriate and disrespectful. Even as such open threats are being made, the government is not taking any action."
"The statement 9against Gandhi) should be withdrawn and an apology should be issued," the Congress general secretary said, adding that it is the job of the LoP to seek accountability from the government and ask questions.
To a query on the plane crash in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed on January 28, Pilot said, "I do not want to speculate. There should be a transparent, time-bound inquiry. If there are doubts, a high-level investigation should clarify facts."
When asked about the demand for leadership change in the opposition INDIA bloc, he said, "Leadership decisions are internal matters. The alliance worked remarkably well in the last Lok Sabha election. The gap in numbers between the INDIA bloc and the NDA was not very wide. We are working together strongly and will continue to do so."
The Congress has been helming the INDIA bloc, a coalition of Opposition parties formed before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to counter the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, voices from disgruntled Congress members and those associated with the UPA dispensation suggested that the leadership of the opposition alliance should be given to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin.
On Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Indian economy, Pilot said, "India is a major IT power. We have talent and capability. Many countries see India as a natural partner. But we must use our strengths wisely and not compromise our sovereignty under pressure."
"India should have the freedom to decide where to buy oil from. That is a sovereign decision," Pilot said.
On the issue of illegal migration, he said anybody staying illegally in India should be removed regardless of religion or caste.
"But this issue should not be politicised. If the border has been under control for 11 years, how did illegal immigrants enter? The government should provide data on how many people have been deported," he said.
"This government's intent and policies are anti-farmer and there is no accountability. The opposition will continue to demand answers from the government and stand with farmers and the people of India," he said.
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