Focus on Bengaluru in state Budget: Beginning of the end of our traffic problem?

As I read through the Budget document from a Bengaluru perspective, it strikes me that the government is leaning towards public transport like never before.

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Apparently, if a city accounts for 50% of the economy of an entire state, 10 full pages will be dedicated to the city in the state budget. It was almost like CM Yediyurappa became the Mayor of Bengaluru for half an hour on Thursday, as he listed out city projects in great detail in the state legislature during his Karnataka Budget presentation.

As I read through the Budget document from a Bengaluru perspective, it strikes me that the government is leaning towards public transport like never before. Of course, intent and action are two different things and not always in sync. Almost all Budgets pay lip service to public transport. However, we now have seen some action in Bengaluru that makes the plan seem plausible – 12 bus lanes and 2,390 new buses are believable because there is already one bus lane and orders for some new buses are already placed.

The fact that many influential politicians lobbied for the elevated corridor, and it failed to find a mention despite that, also gives me hope that finally better sense is prevailing, that concrete based solutions must be given a rest. No news, is good news.

If indeed the share of public transport goes up to 73% from 48% (today), the infamous traffic problems of Bengaluru will become a thing of the past and the city will zoom ahead to greater heights in the decades to come. It is good to see that number.

The first bus priority lane on ORR from Silk Board to KR Puram started with tremendous excitement but has not been well enforced so far. But the potential is clearly visible; commuters report shorter commute times and BMTC reported 12,000 new daily passengers all from one half implemented bus lane. If all the 12 high traffic density corridors get well designed bus lanes, it will take away lakhs of cars and two wheelers from the roads.

The government made a proactive and commendable decision to pick up 50% of the cost of an important railway project that can be a game changer. As thousands of us went on the #ModaluTrainBeku rail yatra from Yeshwantpur to Heelalige, it was abundantly clear how big this route can be for daily commuters on Outer Ring Road and Electronic City from all parts of the city. Byappanalli-Hosur-Yeshwantpur is the most useful railway corridor since it brings Metro commuters to the IT corridor (on ORR and Electronic City) which is where most of the cars are going. It is unfortunate that the Suburban train project is still stuck at the central government (for unjustifiable reasons, I might add) but this small project can make a big difference.

These positive announcements do not however, make up for the lack of a comprehensive mobility planning authority. The UMTA (Unified Metropolitan Transportation Authority) once agains makes an appearance in the Budget, like it does every year, with no real action on the ground. Another annual ritual is the mention of ‘Bengaluru Municipal Act’ which promises to reform urban governance. The CM continues to act like super Mayor and MLAs like super Councillors.

The proposed waste to energy plant at Bidadi reflects the lack of conviction in eliminating the garbage mafia and making efforts to decentralise garbage management. Instead of reducing the need for garbage transport, we are now going to carry our garbage to Bidadi? The waste to energy plant near Electronic City has been a big pain for residents. If we can find space for 198 Indira Canteens, why can’t we find space for 198 small, modern, hi-tech garbage processing centers in all wards? I feel that never happens because it instantly takes away the nearly Rs 1,000 crore annual budget for garbage transport.

The continued over-reliance on Cauvery water is also disturbing. The previous Budget talked about rainwater harvesting and conservation to reduce the reliance on importing water from 100 km away, but it finds no mention this year. A lot more funds are needed to convert our lakes into healthy water bodies that consume rain water as well as treated water from Sewage Treatment Plants (STP), but the budget seems to indicate that reviving lakes is about creating green spaces. Elsewhere there is mention of fixing all old STPs and reviving past glory of tanks.

The mention of a special Bengaluru Municipal Act raises hopes for a better governed, decentralised Bengaluru. I hope it eventually means the Mayor and the Council will be empowered and the parastatals like BMTC, BWSSB, BESCOM become part of BBMP. I hope it means outer areas like Mahadevapura and Rajarajeswari Nagara and Yelahanka become independent corporations under Greater Bengaluru Municipal Authority. The new municipal Act should promote active citizen participation in local governance, ward level planning and budget preparation. When the ward committees and the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) both become functional, Bengaluru will get the world class governance it deserves

I hope, one day, the presentation of the annual city Budget becomes as eagerly anticipated an event as the state and Union Budgets. I want to see live tweeting and media hustle outside the BBMP Council when the Chairperson of Taxation and Finance Standing Committee of BBMP, raises to propose the annual budget of namma Bengaluru. We deserve it.

Srinivas is a citizen activist and an occasional commentator on politics.

Views expressed are the author’s own.