Taking note of the Bangalore’s excessive traffic problems, the Centre has sent a proposal notification to the Karnataka government to implement congestion pricing policy to ensure the Indian ITcity is free from excessive motorisation. If it is implemented a peak-hour ride though the city’s Central Business District (CBD) may soon come at a price for motorists.
It will also encourage investment in public transport, create infrastructure for walking and cycling, and strategise transit-oriented development (TOD). V Manjula, Directorate of Land Urban Transport confirmed that the State has received the proposal notification recently. The urban transport authorities will now vet the proposal and study the issue before replying to the Centre, she added.
Congestion charging is a system of imposing a surcharge on users of roads or public goods, subject to congestion through excess demand. The charge could apply to services like buses, electricity, Metro and even telephones.
It is implemented by either cordoning off a busy area of the city for private vehicles, and imposing a toll on those who want to enter the area for access to a lane or facility. This charge has helped increase lane speed and reduce traffic in London, Milan, Singapore and Stockholm; the wide streets of central and west London are almost free of rows of cars. Congestion was reduced by 21 per cent.
Some stakeholders managing Bangalore’s transport needs are already pressing for some sort of congestion pricing mechanism in the city.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.