Six months on, London-like transport authority to ease Bengaluru’s traffic chaos remains on paper

In January 2023, the state government notified the BMLTA Act after receiving the governor's assent.

It's been more than six months since the Karnataka government notified the creation of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA), yet it remains only on paper.

In 2019, the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) submitted the draft bill for the BMLTA to the state government. After long delays, the Karnataka legislative assembly finally passed the BMLTA bill in December 2022. In January 2023, the state government notified the BMLTA Act after receiving the governor's assent.

On the lines of unified transport bodies in cities like New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, BMLTA was envisioned as an umbrella organisation responsible for coordinating various agencies and formulating a comprehensive plan to reduce traffic congestion in Bengaluru. The BMLTA’s key responsibilities include coordination, planning and monitoring, implementing a common ticketing system, and integrating land use with transportation planning.

However, despite unilateral project announcements by the state government, such as the construction of tunnel corridors and elevated corridors, BMLTA is conspicuous by its absence, according to experts. Transport consultant Satya Arikutharam said:  "The state government should convene a meeting of the BMLTA and establish an executive committee without any further delay. The BMLTA will have responsibilities, including the formulation of aggregator rules for cabs and bike taxis, implementation of a common ticketing system, preparation of a comprehensive mobility plan, and providing inputs to the city's master plan."

Arikutharam also highlighted the need for the state government to allocate seed funding for the BMLTA, stating, "Unfortunately, no funds have been allocated for the BMLTA in the state budget. There should also be a dedicated website and staff for the BMLTA to promote integrated transport and sustainable initiatives."

He also emphasised that the government should not unilaterally announce tunnel roads and elevated corridor projects without an institutional framework and consultation with technical experts, adding, "Such projects should be placed under the purview of the BMLTA."

Ashwin Mahesh, an urban planner and member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said, "Although introduced through legislation, the BMLTA has been unable to fulfil its role as a coordinator or decision-making body for mobility in the city. While it exists on paper and possesses the legal authority to approve projects, it is effectively being ignored."

According to the BMLTA Act, DULT is to be the secretariat of the BMLTA. The commissioner of the DULT would serve as the chief executive officer of the BMLTA. DULT commissioner V Manjula was unavailable to comment.

The Congress manifesto for the Karnataka polls also promised to enact comprehensive legislation exclusively for the management of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), bringing together service providers for water supply and sewage, transport, housing and power, and development authorities under a single agency.

However, deputy chief minister and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar has not made any statement regarding the BMLTA, which will be headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. However, he disclosed plans to establish an advisory group similar to the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF) that was established during SM Krishna's tenure as CM following a meeting with industrialists and prominent citizens of Bengaluru.

Congress national spokesperson and former Rajya Sabha member MV Rajeev Gowda told Moneycontrol, "We are committed to bringing about significant changes in Bengaluru and resolving these issues. I will raise the matter of the BMLTA with Shivakumar, as the existence of the body will facilitate easier implementation. We have not unilaterally announced any projects, but we have been exploring and conducting feasibility studies for initiatives such as tunnel roads."

What BMLTA Act states

BMLTA will be responsible for regulating the development, operation, maintenance, monitoring and supervision of urban mobility within the Urban Mobility Region of Bengaluru. Currently, multiple institutions and agencies such as the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), traffic police, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), BBMP, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and the transport department are involved in the management of urban mobility in the city.

The BMLTA Act of 2022 acknowledges that the existence of multiple institutions and departments leads to overlapping responsibilities and functions, hindering the planning and implementation of major transportation schemes aimed at improving urban mobility. It highlights that the National Urban Transport Policy provides a framework for integrating the functions of these various entities to enable holistic transport planning.

According to the act, the government is mandated to establish an authority (BMLTA) within six months through a notification. The BMLTA will consist of the following members: CM as the chairperson, minister in charge of Bengaluru and minister in charge of transport as vice-chairpersons, and one minister representing Bengaluru as a member.

Other members include the chief secretary, additional chief secretary/principal secretary to the state government from departments including urban development, transport, finance, public works department, women and child development, BBMP mayor, DULT commissioner, Bengaluru city police commissioner, transport commissioner, BBMP chief commissioner, BDA commissioner, BMRDA commissioner, director of the department of town and country planning, member-secretary of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, managing director of BMRCL, and managing director of K-RIDE. Special invitees include the Bengaluru divisional railway manager of South Western Railway and the regional officer (Karnataka) of the National Highways Authority of India.

According to BMLTA Act, it will have non-official members, including three experts in the field of urban mobility, corporate governance or law, finance or transport economics, two representatives from civil society organisations working in the field of urban mobility and related areas, three representatives from institutions or associations representing the private sector and professional bodies, and two representatives from academic institutions with expertise in urban mobility.