Bengaluru’s traffic woes may grow as more people get their own vehicles

BENGALURU: In 2019, Sarjapur resident Malini Parmar sold her car and switched to public transport and shared mobility, options she believes are answers to the city’s problem of traffic congestion. But she, along with many other commuters, is getting a personal vehicle again as BMTC and Metro services remain suspended.
Though Covid-19 cases have fallen, the state government is moving cautiously on this front. The approach is causing problems for sections of the population that depend on buses and Metro and dispiriting advocates of public transport.
“The government has unlocked many things but not public transport. I am forced to buy a new car since the government appears to be discouraging public transport users. Its policies are car-centric,” said Malini, the co-founder of StoneSoup, a social enterprise. On her 2019 decision, she said: “Initially, it was difficult without a car, but I got used to it. BMTC’s 342 series had good connectivity between Sarjapur and Majestic. I also carpooled and rented cycles to commute in the city.”
Several studies and reports, including TomTom Traffic Index, have ranked Bengaluru as one of the most congested cities in the world. The number of vehicles in Bengaluru crossed the 1-crore mark in 2020-21. Of these, 66.7 lakh are two-wheelers and 20.8 lakh are cars. The car registration rate (4.8 per cent) surpassed that of two-wheelers (3.9 per cent) in 2020-21.
Experts say more cars and two-wheelers will add to traffic problems and pollution in the city. Public transport ridership has decreased in the past year because of Covid-19 concerns and remote working. BMTC’s daily ridership fell from 36 lakh in February 2020 to around 25 lakh on April 26 this year. Metro’s numbers fell from 5 lakh in February 2020 to nearly 2 lakh in April 2021.
Ashish Verma, an associate professor (transportation systems engineering) at IISc, said that not reopening public transport would send a wrong message to citizens. “In the past two days, there has been high traffic congestion because of lack of public transport. There is inequity with affordable and accessible transport options being denied to families from low-income groups. Most of them stay on the outskirts because of cheap housing and need to travel long distances to reach their workplaces. They cannot walk or cycle. The government has allowed cabs and autos, but only whitecollar workers can afford them,” he said.
Verma estimates that the city will see a sharp increase in vehicle registrations in the coming days. “It is already evident on our roads,” he added.
Pawan Mulukutla, an urban mobility expert, said that the inclination towards personal vehicles had increased after Covid-19. “At the same time, people are cautious about buying a vehicle because of financial instability,” he said, adding that public transport should be restarted with Covid protocols.
According to another expert, the traffic situation may worsen once offices reopen and industries resume fullfledged operations. “Once people shift from BMTC or Metro to private vehicles, they are unlikely to return to public transport,” he said.