Urban mobility in Bengaluru- Part 2

Greetings, viewers. I hope you are doing well. In this article, I present a comprehensive report on Bengaluru’s public infrastructure, mobility crises, and my experience as a frequent commuter plying across Bengaluru. In my previous Blog, I had focused on topics with respect to Bengaluru’s suburban network. Today, I will be talking about issues with respect to Bengaluru’s road network, Bus network, and other issues.

Firstly, let us admit that Bengaluru has experienced a significant downfall recently due to heavy traffic, which is spoiling its reputation internationally. There are a couple of reasons that are highly responsible for this mass congestion, starting with our insufficient bus network. Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is often considered to be the lifeline of Bengaluru, but it is often not sufficient to the extent that you can rely on it for essential work. Here are the areas of improvement for BMTC -

a)The condition of bus stops is extremely poor, and in most cases don’t even exist. The poor conditions of bus stops are often a reason that commuters don’t use BMTC, hence leading to them using private vehicles. For example, the Radha Reddy layout bus stop(Towards Doddakanneli) does not even have a single mark saying that this is a bus stop; the only way we can find out that buses stop there is by using Google. Moreover, the place has no display or shelter, and half of the buses just pass by without stopping. I am also sharing the pics(accessed from Google Maps’ street view feature).

Image of Radha Reddy layout bus stop as referenced on Google and Namma BMTC app, although the shot was taken in 2023, the situation of the “bus stop” remains the same

b) The frequency of buses on some routes is extremely low, for example, the bus frequency from areas like Gunjur, Ramagondanahalli, or even the IT corridor of Sarjapur Road towards key city centres like Majestic, Shivajinagar, or KR Market is alarmingly sparse during peak hours. This situation forces daily commuters, including office goers and students, to shift towards cabs, autos, or two-wheelers, thus increasing the overall vehicular load on the already congested roads.

c) Lack of Last-Mile Connectivity and Integration with Other Modes of Transport: One of the major drawbacks of BMTC is the lack of efficient integration with the Namma Metro and the suburban railway. The lack of feeder buses to and from major metro stations like Baiyappanahalli, Nagasandra, or Silk Institute means commuters have to rely on expensive auto rides or struggle to walk in unsafe and unfriendly pedestrian infrastructure. A holistic transit model where different modes of transport are interconnected is the need of the hour, especially in a growing City like Bengaluru.

Road Infrastructure and Congestion

Another major concern is the condition of the road infrastructure itself. Many arterial roads, including Outer Ring Road (ORR), Bannerghatta Road, and Bellandur-Sarjapur Road, face daily gridlocks lasting hours. There are several reasons behind this:

• Overdevelopment without infrastructure planning: Areas like Whitefield, Bellandur, and Electronic City have seen a massive real estate boom, but the accompanying road and utility infrastructure has failed to keep pace. As a result, narrow roads with poor drainage and bottlenecks frequently witness waterlogging during rains, making things worse.
• Encroachment and Illegal Parking: Many main roads and service lanes are riddled with encroachments from vendors and haphazardly parked vehicles. This further reduces the effective width of roads and leads to slower movement of traffic.
• Unscientific Traffic Signals and Lack of Traffic Discipline: Bengaluru’s traffic signal timings are often not optimised for peak hours, and most intersections lack proper management. Added to this is the poor lane discipline among drivers, making junctions like Silk Board or KR Puram a nightmare during rush hours.

Pedestrian and Cyclist Neglect

It is also important to talk about how unfriendly Bengaluru has become to pedestrians and cyclists. In most parts of the city, footpaths are broken, non-existent, or occupied by parked vehicles. Cycle lanes, where they do exist (such as parts of the HSR Layout), are often misused by motorists and are not well-maintained.

Encouraging people to walk or cycle can significantly reduce the vehicular burden, but only if they are provided with the right infrastructure.

Final Thoughts from a Daily Commuter

As someone who frequently travels across Bengaluru for work and personal errands, I can confidently say that the city has immense potential — but only if the right measures are taken. Efficient public transportation, intelligent urban planning, strict enforcement of traffic rules, and citizen participation are the cornerstones of fixing this crisis.

Thank you. Do share your experiences, photos, or suggestions in the comments. Let’s be part of the conversation to make Bengaluru a commuter-friendly city again. Moreover, do spread the word.