Bengaluru NGOs launch #Personal2Public campaign to promote public transport usage at least twice a week

A #Personal2Public Bengaluru Commuter Survey (bit.ly/personal2public) has also been launched to analyse commuter travel patterns and identify gaps in Metro access.

To encourage Bengaluru citizens to utilise public transport at least twice a week, NGOs – Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) and WRI India along with corporate organisations and citizen groups on July 13 unveiled the #Personal2Public campaign.

The launch event, held at the Bengaluru press club, highlighted the anticipated Metro lines connecting Whitefield (Byappanahalli-KR Pura section) and Electronics City (RV Road-Bommasandra), which has the potential to significantly reduce traffic congestion in these areas.

However, issues such as unreliable first and last-mile connectivity and long waiting for buses hinder the seamless usage of the Metro, representatives of B.PAC and WRI India said in a statement. According to an upcoming working paper from WRI India-Toyota Mobility Foundation, Metro commuters highly prefer walking and low-cost shared modes for their last-mile travel.

The survey

A #Personal2Public Bengaluru Commuter Survey (bit.ly/personal2public) has also been launched to analyse commuter travel patterns and identify gaps in Metro access. The survey, open to all, particularly targets commuters and residents in Whitefield, Mahadevapura, Electronics City, and Outer Ring Road areas.

"The results of the survey will be mapped to available data analytics, with the Personal2Public team presenting actionable solutions, both at the city and station levels, to key representatives from multiple government agencies," said a statement.

A traffic index published by Dutch location technology specialist TomTom in February this year stated that Bengaluru was the second-most congested city in the globe in 2022.

Revathy Ashok, honorary managing trustee & CEO of B.PAC, urged commuters to reduce personal vehicle usage and embrace public transport at least two days a week. She also urged CEOs and entrepreneurs to lead by example and promote sustainable commuting practices.

Srinivas Alavilli, fellow at WRI India, said that Bengaluru is entering a new phase with the Metro extension to Whitefield and Electronics City. "The Personal2Public campaign strives to foster collaboration between corporates and citizen groups, working proactively with all stakeholders to enhance first and last-mile access to Metro stations."

Alavilli stressed the importance of providing seamless and comfortable experiences to encourage people to shift to public transport. "Footpaths, reliable bus services, and affordable feeder services are integral to the success of any public transport system," he said.

Sustainability ecosystem partnership

In a separate initiative, VMware India, in collaboration with MNC centres in India, has initiated a sustainability ecosystem partnership. The partnership aligns with the P2P campaign and involves corporates in supporting employee participation, promoting electric employee transport fleets, encouraging shared mobility solutions, developing smart mobility technologies, and utilising technology solutions to track and measure sustainable mobility, said a statement from VMware India.

#Personal2Public campaign is also supported by various corporate and civil society groups, including the Sustainability Ecosystem Collaboration Initiative by VMWare and Intel, Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), Electronic City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA), Whitefield Export Promotion Park Industrial Association (WEPPIA), International Tech Park Bengaluru (ITBP), Auto Unions (ARDU - Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union), Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF), Changemakers of Kanakapura Road Association, Whitefield Rising and others.