BBMP plans to introduce U-turns near major junctions to ease congestion

Bengaluru: Soon, commuting on wide roads would mean spending less time in traffic signals. For, the BBMP is all set to introduce U-turns 150 meters before major junctions. The mid-block U-turn aims to ease congestion at junctions, while reducing travelling time.

The BBMP which has already adopted this traffic arrangement on experimental basis on major roads like Mekhri Circle, Old Madras Road and K.R Circle will now take it to more roads.

Reveals a Traffic Engineering Cell engineer, “The pre-emptive U-turn, which is in the shape of a protruded 'S', before Mekhri Circle (towards R.T Nagar) was introduced about two years ago. The U-turn has become crucial in reducing the congestion at this major junction. Also, the U-turn in front of Maharani’s College near K.R Circle has been highly useful to commuters going towards Ambedkar Veedhi. Following the success of these experiments, we have now decided to introduce the mid-block turns across more wide roads.”

However, not all experiments have proved successful for the civic agency. On Ballari Road (towards Sanjay Nagar), the BBMP had to close down the mid-block U turn after traffic violations increased.
The BBMP official said that bikers started commuting on one-way, disrupting traffic in peak hours. Within months after the U-turn was introduced, the BBMP had to close it.

“The mid-block U turn is highly useful for low motor vehicles (LMVs) and two-wheelers, which constitute about 75 per cent of the vehicular population in the city. But some bikers often violate rules and create problems. Hence, we were forced to close the U-turn,” the official said.

According to the engineer, a road has to be at least 40 meters wide for BBMP to introduce the pre-emptive U turn. Though BBMP has not zeroed in on exact roads to have more mid-block U-turns, it is taking the feedback of Technical Advisory Committee members and urban experts to choose the most congested roads. As of now, works are in progress to introduce U turn on Old Madras Road from NGEF towards Suranjan Das Road. Signal-free corridors too will be considered to introduce the U-turn, the official added. 

City lacks proper planning body: experts

World wide, infrastructure like roads, connectivity and other basic amenities are ensured even before merging periphery of the city. But the irony of our city is that the civic bodies - BBMP and BDA have been sanctioning plans for skyscrapers and commercial complexes leading to a major disaster with haphazard and unscientific growth. Experts feel that the urban planners and town planners approach towards rapidly growing Bengaluru city is completely off track and haphazard.

Vivek Menon, Managing Director of Invicus India says that one of the best thing about the planning authority — Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) is that Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) or Master Plan (MP) has been laid out mentioning about the need for widening of the road. Unfortunately, the plan does not speak about projected growth and which direction has potential for growth. “Forget providing infrastructure ahead of the city’s growth,” he rued.

Considering the density of traffic and future growth of the city, the MP has listed as many as 216 roads for widening. Despite plan on the table, less than 10 roads have been widened since 2005 to clear the congestion. As a testimony to erratic growth, mixed development has been allowed causing chaos on the roads proposed for widening.

Allowing mixed development has become a stumbling block for the widening as the civic body cannot afford to provide monetary compensation for property losers.  H. Sudhira, urban planner says that North West European and North American countries are economically advanced and urbanisation took place rapidly due to more of manufacturing and industrial units.

“Besides, these countries are more like police states. But, ours is fundamental democracy where different political parties take different routes. We are in strange situation and have no silver bullet solution. Only thing that can salvage this situation is reforms in Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961. The Act devised in 1961 is no more applicable to the present scenario. Besides, there is no capacity among the officials and there are no qualified officials to deal with the problems hence Bengaluru is dogged with several problems, analysed Mr. Sudhira.