To help ease Bengaluru’s worsening traffic congestion, Karnataka’s Fifth State Finance Commission, in its report tabled in the Assembly, recommended a congestion charge on the lines of London’s system. Under the proposal, vehicles entering some of the city’s busiest stretches—including parts of the Outer Ring Road and other heavily crowded corridors—would have to pay a fee, which would be collected automatically through FASTag. The goal is to limit private vehicle use and raise money for urban infrastructure in the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority. The London model, started in 2003, uses electronic detection to charge vehicles entering certain zones each day, encouraging people to use public transport and easing road congestion.
However, this proposal may be tackling the problem in the wrong order. Bengaluru’s jams are not just caused by too many cars in a few busy areas. Years of weak traffic rule enforcement, unchecked vehicle registrations adding thousands of vehicles daily, and deep-rooted corruption in the regional transport offices, in nexus with various motor driving schools, have all increased the number of vehicles on the road. Frequent roadwork, unplanned city growth and mega road projects—like the proposed tunnel roads—that would only increase the use of private vehicles are the main culprits making things worse. With nearly 1.5 crore people and over 1.3 crore registered vehicles using about 13,000 kilometres of roads, the numbers are tough. If public transport does not become more reliable and traffic rules are not consistently enforced, congestion charges may end up being just another way to raise money rather than a real solution.
The issue impacts not just Bengaluru. The Economic Survey 2025-26 points to congestion pricing and parking reforms as important measures Indian cities can consider, citing examples from London and Singapore. Increasing evidence also shows that failing to address the problem comes at a high cost. Studies across many Indian cities show that travel times have doubled and traffic jams now stretch beyond peak hours; the TomTom Traffic Index 2025 ranks Bengaluru and Kolkata among the slowest cities. Earlier estimates by Uber and the Boston Consulting Group placed annual congestion losses in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata at about $22 billion. These numbers suggest that charging for road use could help, but only if combined with better transport and enforcement.