Karnataka polls: Congress manifesto proposes tunnel roads, revival of elevated corridor project

The manifesto also pledged to rejuvenate the lakes in Bengaluru and develop a blueprint for water sports over the next five years.

The Congress on May 2 released its election manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka elections, proposing tunnel roads and also its plans to revive the controversial elevated corridor project, which was opposed by a number of citizen groups in Bengaluru.

The opposition party stated that they will construct tunnel roads in the Central Business District area under the public-private partnership (PPP) model to decongest Bengaluru's traffic. In its manifesto, the party stated that it will construct North-South and South-East long elevated flyovers in the city. Citizen groups have opposed elevated corridor and tunnel projects on the grounds that they may increase the number of private vehicles on city roads.

The party also plans to complete the approval and implementation of Bengaluru Metro's Phase 3 and Phase 4 in the next five years and extend the Metro rail to Tumakuru, Vasanthanarasapura industrial hub.

The manifesto also pledged to rejuvenate the lakes in Bengaluru and develop a blueprint for water sports over the next five years.

Another promise made by the party is the creation of a mega Bengaluru region with administrative and infrastructure connections to cities like Kolar, Chikballapura, Doddaballapura, Tumakuru, Ramanagara and Kanakapura.

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Further, the Congress party promises to take up the suburban rail project on priority, build footpaths, and roll out a new policy to develop the residential and commercial infrastructure around the outer ring roads. The party also plans to develop a new policy regarding the Bengaluru river bed and lake catchment areas.

The party has pledged to offer state GST concessions to two-wheeler and three-wheeler electric vehicles within urban limits. It also aims to launch a rural minibus program in collaboration with public participation and revise the current outdated transport policies to create a people-friendly transportation policy.

The Congress party has promised free travel for all women on regular KSRTC buses, establish multi-storied parking places in major cities on a PPP model, and increase the public transport share from 55% to 70%. The party also aims to increase the fleet size of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) within five years.

As part of their efforts towards promoting sustainable mobility, the Congress party has promised to convert 50% of its buses to electric within two years. They also plan to introduce e-rickshaws for last-mile connectivity and set up public charging/battery swapping points at every Metro station.

The party has also pledged to constitute 'Maha Bengaluru Samsthan,' involving urban governance experts, industrialists, economists, and environmentalists, to 'revive the lost glory' of Bengaluru.