Experts in Bengaluru Critical of Vehicular Ban

Commercial Street will remain closed to motorists during on Sunday.

BENGALURU: Commercial Street will be closed for vehicles this Sunday between 7 am and 2 pm. This is one of many stretches in the city where traffic police are contemplating such a move.

Last September, the police advocated a ban on vehicles in HSR Layout on a trial basis. The decision evoked a mixed response from the public; many thought it was inconvenient.

However, will such bans on vehicular traffic in different parts of the city on different days be effective? Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M A Saleem had said last year that other compact areas in the city were being identified for similar bans.

City Express asked domain experts whether such a move would be effective. Traffic expert M N Srihari was livid at the decision. “I had said last year the ban was just plain ‘tamasha’,” he charged. “The minister went there in a bullock cart, just to draw attention.”

Moreover, the ban was only enforced on a Sunday, he said. “If they (the authorities) are serious about it, let them implement it every day. Only then will they know how bad a decision it is. Hundreds of people were left fuming as they couldn’t reach their houses,” said Srihari.

Srihari added that the authorities can implement the one-way system in certain areas instead. “They can also ban the plying of certain types of vehicles in peak hours, like lorries and other heavy vehicles,” he said. “A complete ban on vehicles is completely illogical.”

However, urban expert V Ravichandar, told City Express that the ban was feasible, albeit with a few changes. “The ban is not a bad idea. But it needs to be implemented on different stretches of road, with worse traffic snarls,” he said.

Authorities must also ensure that a dedicated lane is created for the movement of emergency vehicles, he added. “Senior citizens must also be given right of way. Closing entry to an entire locality, however, is not feasible,” he said.

The authorities, on the other hand, have imposed a complete ban on vehicular traffic in Cubbon Park on Sundays. However, the park has no residential buildings, so motorists can take alternate roads to reach their destinations.

HSR Layout Cycle  Track Not Good Idea

Srihari lambasted the idea of separate cycle tracks, recently marked out in HSR Layout.  “In Jayanagar, the move was not successful. The authorities are just being ambitious without planning properly. Let them implement the system in Jayanagar before moving on to other areas,” he said.  Meanwhile, Ravichandar emphasised the need for cycle tracks to be marked using barricades. “Cyclists need some sort of protection. Otherwise, motorists will weave in and out of the track, defeating its purpose. This is what happened in Jayanagar,” he said. On the second or third Sunday of February, the traffic police are planning blocking vehicle entry on MG Road, Saleem told City Express. “This is subject to permission from the Metro officials,” he said. “In residential areas, we will enforce bans if residents want us to. Residents of BTM Layout have approached us for this.”

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