BENGALURU: Karnataka risks losing investments if the alarming traffic problem in Bengaluru is not addressed, a judge observed in the High Court on Monday.
Justice A N Venugopala Gowda was responding to Additional Advocate-General A S Ponnanna in the course of a hearing in connection with a pending Lokayukta investigation.
The judge had earlier asked Ponnanna whether Bengaluru could consider the odd-even rule now being implemented for cars in Delhi.
“With no alternative road to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), investors are frustrated. It sometimes takes them a day or a day-and-a-half to visit a government department. If we do not take steps to regulate the alarming traffic, we will lose investments,” Gowda said.
The judge commutes from Judicial Layout, near Hebbal, to the High Court. “It takes me 45 to 50 minutes just to reach Chalukya Circle from Esteem Mall,” he said.
Gowda shared another story to illustrate the problem. A few days ago, Justice B S Patil had called him from the airport, saying he would reach his house within an hour. But he did not turn up for more than four hours.
“I called up Justice Patil to know the reason for the delay,” Gowda said. Patil said he had been stuck in traffic because of an accident on the road.
Ponnanna informed the court that the government was filling up a huge number of vacancies at the constable level, and they would be deployed to mind the traffic. The judge adjourned the case to February 5, after asking Ponnanna to come out with ideas from the government to tackle the traffic problem.
Look at Delhi Model: Judge
Hearing a case on December 18, Justice Gowda had asked the Karnataka government if it would consider the Delhi model of banning diesel vehicles to avoid pollution in Bengaluru. Expressing concern, Gowda had stressed the need for stringent measures on the lines of Delhi. Karnataka had written to the Centre, in September 2014, to regulate the registration of diesel vehicles. It had also banned the entry of heavy vehicles into the city during the day, Additional Advocate-General Ponnanna submitted.If the court suggests a plan of action, the state will implement it, Ponnanna had said.