OPINION | Bengaluru’s Tunnel Road: A solution or slogan?

Bengaluru has seen an explosion of private vehicles. The city had 5 million vehicles in 2012, but by August 2025, it had more than doubled to 12 million vehicles.

Management slogans are often a fad used to sway public opinion. “Sustainable Development” was touted in the late 90s as an approach to economic growth and human development without compromising the needs of future generations. Then came “Climate Change” and “Global Warming”, which referred to the long-term increase in global temperatures and changing weather patterns. Invariably, these slogans are translated into public policy goals by global organisations that are dominated by rich countries, imposing their will on poorer nations.

Of late, “moving people, not cars” has become one such slogan in urban mobility that everyone parrots. Deputy Chief Minister Mr. DK Shivakumar’s announcement of building a tunnel road to crisscross Bengaluru has met with strong resistance from the “moving people, not cars” lobby. Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, after meeting the Deputy CM at his residence, held a press conference and repeated this slogan three or four times. Just like the elites behind “Sustainable Development” and “Global Warming” dictate public policy to poorer countries, the “moving people, not cars” mantra is an attempt to impose the will of the rich on the middle class. What this slogan really means is: cars for the elites, and public transport for the rest.

Private Transport vs. Public Mobility

No doubt, reliable public transport is essential and a must in every city. School-going children, college students, and office workers all need it, and many depend on it. But the goal of the “moving people, not cars” experts is not only a reliable public transport system, but also to get private transport, like cars and two-wheelers, off the streets. In essence, they want to force citizens into public transport by imposing penalties on private transport users.

Bengaluru has seen an explosion of private vehicles. The city had 5 million vehicles in 2012, but by August 2025, it had more than doubled to 12 million vehicles. As a consequence, chronic traffic jams have become the norm, with most motorists spending extra hours on the road. Can imposing congestion pricing keep private vehicles off the road, and will citizens move to public transport as desired by some experts and lawmakers?

Often-cited examples are cities like London and Singapore, which have imposed congestion pricing on motorists. London introduced congestion pricing in 2003, and Singapore started Electronic Road Pricing in 1998. In London, drivers are required to pay a fee to enter Central London during peak hours, while in Singapore, motorists pay for the time their vehicle is on the road. Unfortunately, these measures have served more as revenue earners for the government and have done little to alleviate traffic congestion. According to the traffic analysis company INRIX, London was the most congested city in the world as of 2022, with the average London driver losing 156 hours sitting in traffic that year. A study by Singapore’s Traffic Police claims that the number of people killed or injured in traffic accidents hit a five-year high in 2024, mostly due to bad driving caused by the frustrations of drivers stuck in traffic jams.

Tunnel Roads vs. Metro

The Karnataka state government has proposed two tunnel roads – North-South and East-West – to ease traffic congestion. The proposed first phase of the tunnel road, linking Hebbal and Central Silk Board (North-South), is expected to cost approximately Rs 18,000 crore. It is planned to borrow Rs 9,000 crore through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), with the remaining funds coming from private parties, who will have the right to collect tolls for 30 years by charging Rs 300 one-way. Critics and activists who oppose the project point to the high toll as well as the opportunity cost lost in providing public transport options. They present it as a binary choice, but it is not. Every metropolitan city requires both a large arterial road network and a robust rail network for smooth mobility.

Leading critic, Bengaluru South Member of Parliament Mr. Tejasvi Surya, made a McKinsey-style presentation to the media on alternatives like Metro, Suburban Rail, Trams, etc. These presentations, while they look excellent on paper, invariably flop when it comes to execution. Either they run into land acquisition problems or face a lack of acceptance from commuters. A circular rail project was shelved by the Railway Ministry after it was found to cost over One Lakh Crore, significantly higher than original projections. Another suburban rail project was terminated by the private operator L&T, accusing the state government entity of not being able to provide the land required for the project. Recently, Southern Railways introduced trains to the international airport with much fanfare, but they were shut down within three months after there were no takers.

The initial phase of the Metro was also considerably delayed and had to go underground after traders in Chickpete went to court, accusing BMRCL of forcing them to part with their land. Citizens are also slow to adopt Namma Metro. The original Detailed Project Report (DPR) projected approximately 2.5 million daily commuters after the opening of the Pink, Green, and Yellow lines. Currently, the Metro is struggling to consistently reach 1 million daily commuters, with many riders dropping out after the outrageous 72% increase in fares. Commuters also face a last-mile connectivity problem and are forced to shell out exorbitant auto fares, which makes it unviable for many who would otherwise prefer the Metro. BMTC served commuters well when Bengaluru was a smaller city, but with an area of 741 square kilometres to cover, it lacks the strength to serve all parts of the city.A Clash of Visions

The criticism of high tolls can be overcome by issuing a yearly pass, similar to the one issued by NHAI for other highways. Greater Bengaluru is still several decades away from getting a reliable public transport system. The immediate objective of the state government is to ease traffic congestion at grade level, and the tunnel road is more likely to deliver on this objective than other options like Metro, Suburban Rail, or Buses.

Given the circumstances, residents of Bengaluru should welcome the tunnel road project. Private vehicles can travel underground, while public transport can use ground level, easing traffic for everyone. A mobility plan without a large arterial road network is no plan. Deputy CM Mr. DK Shivakumar has the right mobility vision – Bengaluru needs both a large arterial road network and a comprehensive rail network for reliable public transport and smooth mobility.

It is the duty of every elected government to build a strong public transport network, as well as provide citizens with good motorable roads and excellent footpaths. Let citizens choose the mode of transport for commuting, rather than the government dictating terms.

(N V Krishnakumar is a Bengaluru-based Money Manager.)

Views are personal, and do not represent the stance of this publication.