Bengaluru traffic police facilitated 22 green corridors in 2023 for speedy organ transport

In 2023, there were six green corridors connecting Kempegowda International Airport to and from various hospitals. Representative picture: X/@Prakash02253092.

Bengaluru traffic police facilitated 22 green corridors in 2023 to ensure the quick transportation of various vital organs and patients within a short span across the city. According to traffic police records, the longest green corridor was facilitated on August 23, transporting lungs from Sakra World Hospital near Marathahalli, on Outer Ring Road, to Kempegowda International Airport (42 km) in just 38 minutes. In normal traffic, this distance takes over 1 hour and 30 minutes.

In 2023, there were six green corridors connecting Kempegowda International Airport to and from various hospitals.

Traffic police records show an average of two green corridors were facilitated every month in 2023, mostly transporting hearts (10 cases), patients (five), liver (two), and lungs (two), and facilitating treatment of head injuries (four), among others.

Source: Bengaluru traffic police

"Bengaluru City is one of the most important metropolitan cities in India, housing a significant number of state-of-the-art multispecialty hospitals. It is also a hub for heart transplants, where immediate transport without much delay is crucial," said M N Anucheth, joint commissioner of police (traffic), Bengaluru city.

#savinglives#btpwecareforu Today Bengaluru Traffic Police provided Green Corridor for live Heart Transportation @ 09:20 AM to 09:35 AM from Victoria Hospital to MS Ramaiah Hospital, Bengaluru.@CPBlr#BengaluruTrafficPolice#TrafficPolice#bengalurupic.twitter.com/bI6g2NFDJ9

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— ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಸಂಚಾರ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ BengaluruTrafficPolice (@blrcitytraffic) July 19, 2022

A 'Green Corridor' refers to a dedicated route that ensures a traffic-free passage between the hospital, where an organ is harvested, and the hospital, where it is intended for transplantation. This route is manually managed to expedite organ transport. Although there was a proposal for an ambulance signal light synchronisation scheme in Bengaluru, aimed at automatically turning signals green for ambulances with the help of advanced technology, it is yet to be implemented in the city.

In addition, traffic police granted 37,716 ambulance clearances in 2023, with the maximum clearances given in September 2023 (3,559), followed by 3,413 in March 2023 and 3,380 in January 2023.

Ambulance trips: Bengaluru traffic police data

"The traffic police have been sensitised to give more priority to the movement of ambulances in the city. If the origin and destination are provided by dialing the 112 helpline, traffic police will ensure unhindered movement of the ambulance to the point of destination," added Anucheth.

Also read: Can Japanese tech ease Bengaluru’s notorious traffic snarls?

The city’s road network, spanning 14,000 km (of which major road networks comprise less than 20 percent), had a total vehicle population of 1.13 crore till December 2023.

Of the total vehicles registered in the city, two-wheelers constitute the maximum number with 76.47 lakh, followed by 23.3 lakh cars. Additionally, vehicles registered in other districts and states are also plying on city roads.

A traffic index published by Dutch location technology specialist TomTom in February 2023 stated that Bengaluru was the second-most congested city globally during 2022. The report stated that it took an average of 29 minutes and 10 seconds for commuters to cover a 10-km stretch in the city center in 2022. The average speed during peak hour in the central business district (CBD) was 18 kmph in 2022.

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