On Friday, a separate bus lane was opened for BMTC buses so the buses could have free movement in their own dedicated spot. The lane was opened near the outer ring road. However, things did not go as smoothly as planned.
The issue was that a lot of private vehicles like cars and bikes came into the dedicated lane for the buses and auto rikshaws were also parked there which made the movement of buses extremely difficult.
What was surprising to see was that no traffic police were present on-site to make sure this transition would go smoothly or easily.
BBMP commissioner Anil Kumar, however, went on record and said that the corporation would take more serious efforts into making sure the lanes would only be used for buses and a fine would be imposed on any vehicle that would try to come into the bus lanes.
The BMTC has also installed cameras in almost 70 buses to monitor the movement of the buses and to make sure that no violations take place.
“Footage of motorists violating the rule will be provided to the traffic police so that they can take action,” read a statement by an official.
It is not like the bus lanes don’t help. The buses move much faster now and one bus driver also claimed that it took him just 15 minutes to drive from KR Puram to Silk Board Jn.
Many are hoping that this lane service works out for BMTC buses as the route it is set up in is important for the IT industry that thrives here in Bengaluru and since the metro rail connectivity to this area is still 4-5 years away, the buses serve as one of the main options for people traveling from point A to point B.
The bus lane will solve issues for people who are now currently dependent on private cabs and carpool services which cost a lot of money monthly. Having a dedicated lane for buses will solve issues of unmanageable traffic and will also increase the speed of buses in which people who have time constraints travel.
