Bus priority lane to return on Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road after Metro work

The bus priority lane, which was launched on November 15, 2020, between Central Silk Board and KR Puram on Outer Ring Road, was discontinued in mid-2022 due to Metro construction work.

The bus priority lane between KR Puram and Central Silk Board on Outer Ring Road (ORR) is likely to be reinstated after the completion of Metro construction.

Speaking at a panel discussion titled 'Bengaluru: Ready for a Transformational Mobility Shift?' organised by the Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC), BS Prahlad, chief engineer (road infrastructure) of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), said: “BMRCL has committed to restoring the bus priority lane once the Metro pillar works are completed and the barricades are removed.”

The Central Silk Board-K R Puram (Blue Line) Metro project is expected to be completed by 2025-2026. However, Metro barricades along the entire stretch will be gradually removed by 2023-2024.

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In 2019, the state government launched the bus priority lane on the 17-kilometer stretch between Central Silk Board and KR Puram at a cost of Rs 14.3 crore. However, the bus lane's bollards were uprooted during Metro construction in 2022. The Metro project occupied 4.5 meters on both sides of the road, reducing the overall width of the ORR.

Shamanth Kuchangi, technical head at the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), emphasised the importance of bus priority lanes in addressing congestion.

He stated, “Even if we increase the number of buses from 6,600 to 10,000, if they are stuck in traffic, it defeats the purpose. Arterial roads with more than three lanes should have bus-priority lanes. For example, a bus with 70 passengers, and 20 such buses carrying 1,400 passengers, would create less congestion than 1,400 cars,” he said.

Kuchangi pointed out that ORR experienced significant congestion on September 27 and highlighted the missed opportunity for bus lanes. "If the bus lane had been in place, people could have left their private vehicles and shifted to buses. Unfortunately, we missed this opportunity. Once Metro construction is completed, the bus priority lane should be restored and also extended to other high-density corridors," he said.

Additionally, DULT has prepared a parking policy proposing a substantial increase in parking fees, which should be implemented to discourage the use of private vehicles.

Station Accessibility Plan

Kuchangi revealed plans to incorporate cycle tracks around metro stations and work on multimodal integration based on the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy.

"As part of the Station Accessibility Plan, eight stations of Whitefield Metro have been selected for improving accessibility to various modes of transportation, including cycling and walking, and the report has been submitted to BMRCL," he said.

Under the Asian Development Bank's technical assistance, 30 stations in Phase 2 and Phase 2B (ORR-KIA Metro) have been identified for multimodal solutions. TOD plans to encourage people to live and work near metro stations without relying on private vehicles.

Kuchangi said the introduction of feeder loop bus services in HSR Layout received a positive community response. "Local communities in Whitefield, Bellandur, and Malleshwaram are also demanding loop services for first and last-mile connectivity," he said

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