BENGALURU: The bus priority lane will be open to vehicular traffic from Silk Board to K R Puram while the cycle lane could open up to e-bikes as Metro construction work is set to begin along the stretch soon. This figured among the key points discussed during a joint survey of the stretch by BBMP, BMRCL, traffic police, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and Outer Ring Road Companies Association.
A senior Metro official told TNIE after the meet on Saturday that construction work will begin along at least one small portion of the Outer Ring Road, within a month. “BMRCL will occupy 4.5 metres from the central median on both sides of the road. The bus lane will take away 2.8 metres on each side and only 1.7 metres will be left for traffic on each side, which will be too less for private vehicles to pass through. To avert traffic bottlenecks, we want the bollards to be removed on the bus lane so that it can permit all vehicles. “The cycle lane coming in the service lane too needs to be opened up for smaller vehicles so that the road does not have major traffic bottlenecks, he added.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic, H J Thippeswamy said they plan to suggest removing the bollards to DULT for small distances near the specific stretches where work takes place. “The entire stretch will not be opened up at one go. If BMRCL is taking up work for say, 50 metres to 60 metres, the bus lane can be opened for that portion alone.” After that is completed and the dug up portion is restored, then another stretch can be taken up.” Two-wheelers (e-bikes) can be allowed in cycle lane.
A senior BBMP official too conceded that this line of thinking had been proposed and will be finalised in a meeting with DULT in a couple of days. DULT Commissioner Manjula said that joint inspection was done to identify constraints due to metro construction where road width is insufficient. “We would be having a follow-up meet to decide the course of action.”