Panels will co-ordinate with various departments, widen roads and focus on mass rapid transport system

The State government is planning to decongest the city through a multi-pronged approach that includes emphasis on the mass rapid transport system, widening 16 radial roads and replicating transport facilities of well-managed cities abroad.

The government has formed two separate committees, led by Public Works Minister H.C. Mahadevappa and Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee, to co-ordinate with various departments, agencies and experts concerned to prepare a plan for the decongestion of Bangalore.

Disclosing this to reporters in Bangalore on Tuesday, Mr. Mahadevappa said the committee led by him would prepare a report in about a month focussing on removing bottlenecks to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic.

Metro extension and mono rail

He said the proposed decongestion plan would focus on integrating efforts by various departments and civic agencies, including the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, the Bangalore Development Authority and the Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Development Authority. The committee would also examine the possibility of introducing mono rail, extending the network of metro rail, introducing intelligent transport system and improving traffic management.

As many as 16 radial roads, which belong to Public Works Department, leading to Bangalore city would be widened as part of the decongestion plans, he said.

The committee would identify traffic trends in different areas of Bangalore city and adopt innovative ways of handling traffic such as introducing long-distance route buses for the BMTC, he said.