Bengaluru’s new bus lane connecting Silk Board Junction and KR Puram will have 200 home guards keeping an eye on the bus priority lane on the Outer Ring Road (ORR).
200 marshals for separate bus lanes
It was on Friday, the new bus lane was flagged off on the ORR route and unfortunately, the idea of having a separate lane for buses had some hindrances to handle. BMTC buses on the lane had to deal with private vehicles entering in the separate lane. Not only that, auto rikshaws and cabs were also noted to be parked carelessly between the lanes which caused trouble for the smooth flow of the ride. Surprisingly, traffic police were nowhere near the site to make things organized.
Sighting the problem, the authorities have decided to deploy 200 marshals/home guards to keep a lookout on bus priority lanes and avoid private vehicles entering the stretch. A BBMP official monitoring the project has stated that “ Police have asked for 200-odd home guards or marshals to man these lanes for enforcement. We are figuring out the logistics and preparing the proposal. We also need to decide things like their salaries and who will bear the cost.”
Motorists may be fined breaking rules
Motorists disregarding the rules may also be penalized by the deployed deputies. “The bus lane is operational and we need people to penalize motorists not following lane discipline and entering the stretch,” said BR Ravikanthe Gowda, the Traffic police commissioner.
Traffic police’s manpower shortage has forced them to take help from the BBMP. “The Palike has agreed to provide the required number of marshals/home guards but we are yet to take a call on whether they should be deployed at every 100 meters or longer,” added Gowda.
The infrastructure of the lanes
Giving an update about the infrastructure of the bus-priority lane the BBMP officials have confirmed that the lane marking in yellow was almost completed and work on the stretch from HSR Layout to Silk board Junction was only pending.
The BBMP authorities are also using stamps to show the lane is for ‘Bus Only’. The stamps for lanes are used with thermoplastic paint and the work is expected to be completed within a week. The plans are also underway to shift 44 bus shelters to the left of the bus lanes and around 400 bus parking signs will be provided very soon.
