BENGALURU: Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya met Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday, and urged the state government to shift focus from the proposed tunnel road project to expanding rail-based public transport systems, arguing that the city’s long-term mobility solutions lie in Metro and suburban rail, not car-centric infrastructure. The DCM, however, said there are no alternative solutions in the suggestions given by the MP.
In an hour-long meeting, Surya presented a set of alternative sustainable transport proposals, stressing that the Tunnel Road Project (TRP), as per the state government’s own Detailed Project Report (DPR), would move only 1,800 vehicles per hour per direction, while a Metro system could move up to 69,000 people per hour in the same corridor (proposed Red Line).
“The vision should be to develop 300 km of Metro with a three-minute frequency, along with 300 km of suburban rail. Bengaluru’s transport policy must focus on moving more people, not just more vehicles,” Surya said after the meeting.
Calling for a people-first approach, the MP proposed dedicated loop bus services every 5-10 minutes along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) between KR Puram and Silk Board, with dedicated lanes to serve tech corridor commuters. He also pressed for the appointment of a chairperson to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA), calling it “the most important agency” to coordinate between multiple transport parastatals and develop a unified mobility plan.
Surya said the city’s footpaths and roads require top priority, urging the government to take up a mission-mode initiative to make Bengaluru’s roads “the best in the country, or even the world”.
Criticising the TRP, Surya reiterated his request to scrap it entirely in favour of mass rapid transit systems. “Money should be spent on sustainable projects that provide long-term benefits, not short-term fixes,” he said.
He also raised concerns about potential commercial development near Lalbagh, reportedly mentioned in the DPR. “I told the DCM about reports of commercial establishments coming up at the Lalbagh site. He assured me that there will be no damage to Lalbagh and no commercial complexes will be permitted there,” Surya said.
“The DCM said he would convene a meeting next week with officials, industry representatives, and CEOs from the ORR, and he invited me to present these solutions there,” Surya added.