In a city that continues to experience the worst traffic congestions in the world, it seems to be that daily commuting is one of their biggest problems they are yet to solve. Even after just stepping out of a 5-month lockdown due to COVID-19, roads across the city are filled with bumper to bumper traffic jams that sometimes take hours to dissolve.
While traffic congestion is a big concern for a city commute, people are searching for safer mobility options at a time like this. The question still lies, how can we reduce traffic congestion while making commute safer for city dwellers?
Let’s take a look at what’s to come for Bangalore city.
The Revolution Has Begun
The first step to bettering the infrastructure of city roads is in the hands of city agencies and government bodies. And that’s exactly what’s happening. The BBMP, along with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport(DULT), is planning to build 35km bicycle lanes to connect the central business district (CBD) and Outer Ring Road (ORR).
In addition to this, Bengaluru Smart City Limited (BSCL) is providing cycling infrastructure in CBD. The development is said to be completed by November-end.
Pop-up bicycle lanes are temporary solutions to test the infrastructure of cycle lanes in the city. They are quick to implement and much more affordable. In the COVID situation, they are also emergency bicycle lanes for more space and safety while commuting.
Here’s what RK Misra, urban mobility expert, and co-founder of Yulu had to say,
“Connecting CBD with ORR through dedicated cycle lanes is the right step. Many office goers stay within 5km of their workplace and could use cycles to commute. It’s a safe mode during the pandemic, instead of crowded buses.”
Bicycle mayor Sathya Sankaran said: “Sale of bicycles has increased during the pandemic. Though Bengaluru’s weather is ideal for cycling, many are scared to venture out because of heavy traffic on roads. At present, cycle lanes are largely restricted to a few roads in CBD like Cubbon Road and St Marks Road. Government agencies should build 200 km of cycle lanes every year for the next 10 years.”
The Community Comes Together
In the wake of COVID-19, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs along with Smart Cities Mission and ITDP India launched the #Cycle4Change challenge to inspire Indian cities to implement a safer and more sustainable mode of commuting. Cities across India took upon this challenge and collaborated with their citizens to implement quick cycle-friendly interventions.
Othe public transportation services have sought to make changes to safeguard their commute. BBMP is said to complete the installation of bollards and barricades to improve the efficacy of the Bus Priority Lane (BPL) on Outer Ring Road.
The community all around us is coming together to change and better the infrastructure of the city commute.
Yulu Joins The Change
As the leading PBS operator whose mission is to reduce traffic congestion and make commuting easier for all, we are joining this revolution to make a change. While bicycle lanes are in the works, we have partnered with the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) to help make the commute for office goers safer and more affordable. We launched an offer that instantly credits Rs.1,500 e-cash into the Yulu wallets for all the employees of the companies under ORRCA. They now have the option to use a simplified mode of commute.
We can’t help but applaud the tremendous efforts by officials to make commuting easier and safer for all. This is just the first step of many to come in changing the way we commute across the country. Yulu will continue to work closely with government bodies to make the infrastructure better, usable, and more livable.