BENGALURU:The dedicated auto lane initiative, introduced by the city traffic police in order to decongest roads, has fallen flat due to poor enforcement of rules.
The initiative was launched about a year ago after the authorities found that auto drivers were proving to be a hindrance on the roads and holding up traffic. One year after demarcating dedicated auto lanes on stretches like Kasturba Road, Cubbon Road, Seshadri Road, Ananda Rao Circle and R V Road, the auto drivers are back to driving outside the lane demarcated with barriers.
Vinod Mallapa, an auto driver, said, “It was hard to get into the lanes in those areas. Most of the time, they would be full of two-wheelers. There were also many practical glitches. That’s why this initiative has failed.”
M A Saleem, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said, “Despite taking up several enforcement drives we failed to get drivers to stick to these lanes. At present, we are running a campaign on not using mobile phones while driving. Once that is done, we will take up the issue of lane driving again.”
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) also wants dedicated lanes for its buses. A BMTC official said the corporation has made several requests but the authorities have not paid any heed.
BMTC is conducting a survey across the city to identify roads where dedicated bus lanes could be introduced. It is also identifying bottleneck areas and roads with heavy traffic, where plying heavy vehicles is difficult.
Prof M N Srihari, traffic and transportation expert, said, “The idea of introducing lane driving in the city has failed more than once. It is time to think practically instead of introducing new rules on their whims and fancies.”
IDEA THAT FAILED TO TAKE OFF
Dedicated autorickshaw lanes were first launched in the city in 2006 but they failed to trigger any noticeable change. The barricades used for demarcating the lanes are mostly left on the roads, and they create a lot of trouble for commuters. Traffic expert Prof M N Srihari said, “If the government is serious about decongesting roads, it should concentrate on decreasing the vehicle density by putting a cap on registration of vehicles. It should also prevent unauthorised parking.”