BENGALURU: The Karnataka Assembly passing the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill has received a mixed response from several quarters. While those like Bengaluru Navanirmana Party (BNP) have welcomed BMLTA, Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) has opposed it.
BMLTA is a unified agency that will be in charge of all policy decisions relating to urban mobility, with the Chief Minister as its ex-officio chairperson, and the Bengaluru development minister and transport minister as ex-officio vice-chairpersons.
Vinay Sreenivasa of BBPV said, “The BMLTA will be another state-controlled agency and the passing of the Bill without public consultation and in the absence of a BBMP-elected council is against the 74th Amendment of the Constitution that decentralized powers to urban local bodies.”
“City roads are under BBMP’s control, and BMTC is under the transport department, while the Metro is under the Urban Development Department. We agree that transport coordination is needed, but passing the Bill hurriedly in the absence of an elected BBMP Council undermines the power of ULBs, who are empowered to take decisions,” Vinay said, adding that the Opposition parties must oppose BMLTA.
Terming the passing of the BMLTA Bill as the first step towards fixing traffic woes in Bengaluru, Srikanth Narasimhan, founder and general secretary of BNP, said, “Bengaluru is in need of a unified transport body that will integrate multiple government agencies to address traffic woes.
Aware of the need for a single authority to plan, oversee, and coordinate activities of various other agencies, with a holistic and integrated approach to the transport system which has been in discussion for 14 long years. With the passing of the Bill, BNP’s goal for sustainable urban transport is now within reach, Srikanth added.
BILL PASSED IN COUNCIL
Belagavi: The BMLTA Bill, which will bring all transport and allied departments under one umbrella to streamline the traffic in Bengaluru, was passed in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Bill was passed in the Assembly.