Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Company (BMTC) is all set to relaunch the much-awaited bus precedence lane (BPL) within the metropolis from January 2026.
BMTC Managing Director Ramachandran R on Thursday introduced that the company is making efforts to relaunch BPL between KR Puram and Silk Board Junction alongside the Outer Ring Street, after the system got here to a halt in 2022 as a result of Metro development.
The newest improvement follows repeated requests from public transport fans to carry again the precedence lane in order to scale back commuting time considerably alongside the ORR stretch, which homes main IT firms.
“About 5 years in the past we launched bus precedence lanes within the metropolis. Nonetheless, as a result of ongoing Metro development (Blue Line), we needed to pause the initiative. Now, we’re planning to revive it. Beginning this January, the bus precedence lane can be reinstated alongside the KR Puram and Silk Board junction, giving precedence to buses on this route,” Ramachandran stated throughout an occasion in Bengaluru.
BPL, initially launched as a pilot venture in November 2019, was aimed to scale back site visitors congestion and improve public transport effectivity. It was envisaged to scale back journey time on BMTC buses from 70 minutes to 50-55 minutes, saving shut to twenty minutes for passengers alongside ORR.
The lane spans 17 km and was constructed for Rs 14.3 crore. Nonetheless, the Metro development on the ORR required 9 metres of highway area for pillars. This led to the removing of 25,000 fiber-reinforced bollards, narrowing the highway and forcing authorities to permit blended site visitors.
BMTC is at the moment holding discussions with the Directorate of City Land Transport (DULT) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on redesigning the BPL alongside ORR to align with the evolving city panorama.
Story continues under this advert
The initiative goals to boost public transport effectivity by addressing previous challenges and adapting to current infrastructure developments, notably after Metro development. Ongoing discussions with civic companies concentrate on strategically repositioning bollards in areas the place Metro work is full, making certain seamless integration with service roads to take care of easy site visitors circulate for each buses and personal automobiles.
A significant hurdle after the launch was the shortage of constant enforcement by the Bengaluru Site visitors Police (BTP). Personal automobiles, together with two-wheelers, automobiles, and personal buses, continuously encroached on the BPL, undermining its function. Whereas penalties have been launched (Rs 500 for the primary offense, Rs 1,000 for subsequent ones), enforcement was insufficient as a result of restricted police sources.
Vinay Sreenivas, member of Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, advised The Indian Categorical, “Relaunching the precedence lane on ORR is a commendable transfer, however higher urgency is required to increase it citywide. Past ORR, each main hall calls for devoted bus lanes to make public transport central to Bengaluru’s mobility. The federal government should seek the advice of commuter boards, drivers, and conductors—not simply technocrats—to make sure inclusive planning. Buses, carrying over 42 lakh passengers every day, surpass Metro”. He burdened that the BPL’s success hinges on addressing previous failures, primarily implementation bottlenecks.