[sustran] BMTC seeks public opinion on priority lanes

[Vinay Baindur]

the MoUD sent out the guideline 6 years ago and the local authorities are
not convinced?


http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/bmtc-seeks-public-opinion-on-priority-lanes/article18683094.ece

BMTC seeks public opinion on priority lanes
<http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/bmtc-seeks-public-opinion-on-priority-lanes/article18683094.ece#>STAFF
REPORTER
<http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/bmtc-seeks-public-opinion-on-priority-lanes/article18683094.ece#>
MAY 31, 2017 19:43 IST
UPDATED: MAY 31, 2017 19:43 IST



Dedicated bus lanes in Delhi. With over 6,000 buses transporting 52 lakh
passengers every day, the BMTC feels that a similar system is needed in
Bengaluru.   | Photo Credit: PRAKASH SINGH
<http://www.thehindu.com/profile/photographers/PRAKASH-SINGH/>
24-hour poll on Twitter ends on Thursday

Bus priority lanes and signals are back in the limelight after being on the
back-burner for several years because of a lack of support from civic
agencies. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has
started a poll on Twitter inviting public opinion on the necessity of bus
lanes.

The poll went live around 5 p.m. on Wednesday and will end on Thursday. It
had received more than 200 votes in two hours with a majority, around 65%,
saying that it is an urgent necessity.

The BMTC have been proposing bus priority lanes from as far back as 2003.
In 2011, a pilot was proposed on Old Airport Road, but faced opposition
from several quarters, including the Bangalore Traffic Police who insist it
would be next to impossible to keep the lanes free of other traffic.

However, with over 6,000 buses transporting 52 lakh passengers every day,
the BMTC feels that the project would be beneficial to those who use public
transport. “We are waiting to see the poll results. We are yet to take a
decision on whether to present the findings to the government,” said Ekroop
Caur, Managing Director, BMTC.

Last year, BMTC had suggested 12 roads for the project. However, it failed
to take off.

*In March this year, when Nrupatunga Road was closed for repairs, the
traffic police provided a dedicated bus lane on Sheshadri Road which
enabled around 400 buses to pass in one hour.*

Armed with such encouraging indicators, BMTC is making a fresh attempt to
generate interest in the proposal. The poll can be found on the
@BMTC_Bengaluru handle on Twitter.