BENGALURU: The second ‘Less Traffic day’ observed in the city on Sunday failed to significantly reduce traffic congestion. Citizens suggested that such a day could have more impact if it is observed on a weekday, and also claimed that there was a lack of awareness about the day.
Head of Ola-Uber driver association, Tanveer Pasha, said most main roads in the city did not see a reduction in traffic from other Sundays. Ravi Kumar, an Uber driver, said the areas of Whitefield, KR Puram and Hebbal were as busy as other Sundays.
Chief coordinator of the Resident Welfare Association, Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB), Srinivas Alavilli said CfB had suggested the authorities to observe such a day on a weekday, and in collaboration with large-scale employers. “We had suggested that they ask corporate firms who hire many employers to provide some incentive to employees who come by public transport on that particular day. In addition, BMTC could provide significantly reduced fares, maybe even a 50 per cent discount, especially on AC buses.”
In comparison, on Sunday, the BMTC provided a discount of ‘5 for the daily pass of ‘70— a mere 7.14 per cent. Alavilli said another important measure would be for the traffic police to give priority to buses on roads. There was no mention of the day on several WhatsApp groups of RWAs, which showed its low awareness, and the authorities needed to work on this aspect. CfB had suggested to implement these measures on a pilot basis for three months, analyse its success and then take a call.
Transport expert Sanjeev Dhyamannavar said it made more sense to observe such a day on a weekday. “People do not have fixed travel plans on weekends and hence when they travel, they would like to do so comfortably. On the other hand, on weekdays they will anyway travel from homes to offices,” he said.
Pollution levels see a 15% drop
The city saw an average of 15.6 per cent reduction in pollution levels on Sunday, as per KSPCB data. The agency measured levels of four pollutants - carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and PM10 (particulate matter of size less than 10 microns). These were measured at seven stations - Hebbal, Jayanagar, Kavika (Mysuru Road), NIMHANS, Central Silk Board, SG Halli and City Railway Station. The readings were compared with the average of readings taken on three other Sundays - January 21, January 28 and February 4
