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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
BMLTA slams Bengaluru tunnel road project, says it does not align with Comprehensive Mobility Plan
In a first of its institutional criticism of the ambitious north-south tunnel road project connecting Hebbal and Silkboard junction, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) has flagged several discrepancies in the project. According to the BMLTA review of the feasibility report of the tunnel road project, accessed by The Indian Express, the transport planning body has stated that the proposed project does not align with the objectives and goals of the approved Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Bengaluru. Further, it stated that the project does not align with either Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)'s Climate Action Plan or National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP). In fact, despite several discrepancies, Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited, which is executing the tunnel road project, has gone ahead with global tenders for the project. BBMP submitted the feasibility study report of the proposed north-south corridor in July 2024 for review and approval by BMLTA. The Directorate of Urban and Land Transport, which serves as the secretariat to BMLTA, conducted a technical review of the proposal, following which 14 technical observations/comments were documented for consideration of BBMP. According to CMP, it targets a 70 per cent public transport share by 2035; however, tunnel roads encourage car-based commuting, the review noted. BMLTA noted that BBMP has no prior experience in the state to implement such a large (14.5-metre twin tube) deep tunnel. Instead, BMLTA recommends alternative short-length strategic alignments where such tunnels may play a critical role in improving connectivity of existing road networks. It also recommended a signal-free connectivity of Outer Ring Road (ORR) at Goraguntepalya junction, signal-free connectivity of ORR between K R Puram and Benniganahalli (to decongest Old Madras Road from Tin Factory to KR Puram) and signal-free connectivity of ORR between Central Silk Board and J D Mara junctions. BMLTA further recommended considering tunnel configurations for the proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR). 'Given that the development density along the PRR is relatively low, constructing tunnels here may pose fewer technical challenges. It could also potentially reduce land acquisition costs and open up avenues for private investment, especially as the PRR is already being planned as a toll-based road,' the agency stated. Lack of scientific assessment One of the major criticisms is the absence of a scientific travel demand assessment. The agency noted that BBMP failed to conduct origin-destination (O-D) surveys, which are essential for understanding travel patterns and estimating how many commuters would use the tunnel. BBMP's claim that O-D surveys are only relevant in early-stage transport planning was contested by BMLTA, which noted that a feasibility study itself is an early-stage exercise. 'Without O-D data, traffic shift estimations are speculative, impacting assessments of segment-wise demand, entry/exit point locations, and potential traffic diversion from other projects like metro or suburban rail,' the agency noted. Further, the project lacks a scientific evaluation of its impact on surface-level roads and junctions, the agency said. The feasibility study omitted turning movement counts (TMCs) and junction-level simulations, failing to assess whether roads and junctions at proposed entry/exit ramps can handle diverted traffic. 'This oversight risks exacerbating surface-level congestion at tunnel access points, potentially undermining the project's goal of reducing traffic bottlenecks,' BMLTA observed. BMLTA also pointed out that the study ignores interactions with other major infrastructure projects, such as Metro phases 2A, 2B, 3, and 3A, suburban rail corridors, and the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy. According to BMLTA, by not accounting for these parallel systems, which are designed to address similar commuter demands, the tunnel's demand forecasts are likely overestimated, leading to flawed planning assumptions. BMLTA also criticised the project's reliance on flawed traffic data and analysis. Reported average daily traffic volumes between Hebbal and Mekhri Circle (1,500 to 3,500 passenger car units) were flagged by BMLTA as unrealistically low, with camera-based counts lacking clarity on specific roads and directions. 'The rudimentary forecasting methodology risks overestimating the tunnel's utility, rendering financial calculations and congestion-relief claims unreliable,' it noted. Compounding these issues, BBMP's study neglected geological and seismic risks, providing no details on tunnel depth, seismic risk analysis, or Bengaluru's geological vulnerabilities, despite the city being in Seismic Zone II with reported active fault lines in Southern Karnataka, BMLTA said. Environmental and hydrogeological concerns were similarly overlooked, with no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted despite the tunnel's proximity to Rajakaluves and lakes like Hebbal Lake, BMLTA noted. Additionally, the project underestimates land acquisition needs for entry/exit ramps, ventilation shafts, and impacted buildings, such as those near Silk Board, with no associated cost estimates, leading to an incomplete financial analysis, as per BMLTA. BBMP's cost estimates exclude critical components like land acquisition, ecological mitigation, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), and surface traffic management, while the financial model fails to assess realistic toll revenue under reduced demand scenarios, it said. BMLTA also highlighted conflicts with Metro infrastructure, with BBMP identifying only three tunnel-metro conflict points compared to the agency's identification of 11, including six with existing or proposed Metro lines and five at ramp locations. Satya Arikutharam, an urban mobility expert, said, 'I am not at all surprised by the BMLTA review comments. This is exactly what the city has been trying to say to the Government for the past one year. I hope BMLTA's sound advice is taken seriously, and the government abandons the unscientific car-only tunnel. Strengthening public transport is the only proven way forward for Bengaluru. Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Civic groups question Greater Bengaluru Authority Act over centralisation concerns
Bengaluru: Taking objection to the haphazard manner in which the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has been rolled out, several civic activists are contemplating legal options to prevent what they call derailment and destruction of decentralised governance in the city. At a public discussion organised by CIVIC Bangalore here Saturday, activists said they plan to file a PIL plea in this regard. In the current form, GBA will weaken local decision-making and hamper effective civic administration in Bengaluru, they claimed. On the govt's justification that GBA had to be brought in as Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had failed in administering the city, CIVIC Bangalore executive trustee Kathyanai Chamaraj said: "BBMP did not fail because of internal inefficiency, it was was systematically undermined by the govt. " One of the major criticisms by experts is that the govt failed to expand Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC), a body meant to coordinate various parastatal agencies, and instead opted to create GBA, which took away crucial planning and financial powers from BBMP. This move will leave the city's smaller municipal corporations with limited authority and resources, forcing them to depend heavily on the state-controlled GBA for major projects and budgets, they said. Satyajit Arikutharam, mobility expert, spoke about the impact the bill will have on major mobility decisions: "BMLTA (Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority) Act is already in force — the problem isn't the absence of law, but the deliberate neglect of it. Mega projects like tunnel roads are being pushed through without scrutiny, undermining public transport goals and democratic oversight. We're seeing real estate interests take precedence over planning, and citizens are left paying the price. This isn't just bad governance, it is an erosion of accountability disguised as development." TR Raghunandan, former bureaucrat, said the GBA Act is being sold to people as a reform, but in reality, it's a dangerous centralisation of power. "It creates multiple urban populations without constitutional backing, ignoring the spirit of the 74th Amendment. There's no clarity on what local bodies actually do. It's all PowerPoint governance and not actual empowerment. The Act pretends to devolve power while concentrating it at the top. This is not local self-governance; it's a model of elected monarchies. If we are serious about democracy and functional devolution, we need real responsibilities at the local level, not ornamental laws that weaken it further."
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Greater Bengaluru Authority takes over as BMLTA's role in urban mobility diminishes, experts warn of consequences
With Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot giving assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill (GBGB) 2024, the IT capital is set to usher in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which has sweeping powers to streamline governance in the urban region. However, urban mobility experts and civic groups have pointed out that the transformation comes at the cost of diluting the powers of an autonomous body such as the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) that oversees planning and coordinating transport in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area. More than two years have passed since BMLTA was notified, yet the Act remains on paper, with no rules being framed or no members being formally appointed. The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA) positions the GBA as the apex body for urban governance, with binding authority over agencies like the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), and other urban development agencies previously coordinated by the BMLTA. Satya Arikutharam, urban mobility expert, said, 'The GBGA dilutes the core functions of BMLTA and makes it an ineffective institute even before its establishment. The city will miss the rigorous and independent review specified under Section 19 of BMLTA before approval for major urban transport projects.' GBGA explicitly transfers several BMLTA provisions to the GBA. Under its planning functions, the GBA is designated as the 'Planning Authority' for the Greater Bengaluru area under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961. This includes approving layouts and ensuring compliance with the master plan, roles that previously intersected with the BMLTA's efforts to align land use with transport planning. The GBA's oversight of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC), chaired by the Chief Minister, further consolidates its planning authority, potentially marginalising the BMLTA's input in metropolitan transport strategies. The GBA, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is tasked with overseeing up to seven municipal corporations carved out of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Its functions span administrative control, urban planning, coordination of public authorities, and execution of major infrastructure projects, including mobility plans. Major infrastructure projects, including vehicular tunnels proposed under the Brand Bengaluru initiative, upcoming Metro networks, and other urban infrastructure plans, require approval from BMLTA as specified under Section 19 of the Act. Under Section 19, the Act ensures that the authority will have the power to approve all major urban transport projects proposed from the perspective of consistency with the Comprehensive Mobility Plan and in a time-bound manner. It further states that no authority, agency, or department under the state government shall initiate any public, private, or public-private partnership project concerning urban mobility without obtaining prior approval of the authority. BBMP, in its government order in September 2024, acknowledges the approval of BMLTA for an underground vehicular tunnel connecting Hebbal and Silk Board and other proposed elevated corridors. Experts point out that with the establishment of a 'centralised' authority like GBA, it assumes significant responsibilities previously held by the BMLTA, such as formulating mobility plans and coordinating agencies like BMTC, BMRCL, Urban Development department and other agencies. No clear sequence of process on land use: Experts Arikutharam said that as per GBGA coordination between BMRCL and BMTC, the preparation of Mobility Plan, and formulation of major infrastructure projects – all core BMLTA functions – will now be undertaken by Greater Bengaluru Authority. 'This has serious negative consequences for sustainable urban mobility as GBA is designed for unfettered real estate development,' he pointed out. Further, GBA integrates and supervises public authorities such as BMTC, BMRCL, and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), issuing binding directions to streamline municipal and transport activities, and provisions that BMLTA was also entrusted with. GBA also formulates and executes major infrastructural projects, including mobility-related plans (e.g., roads, tunnels), directly or through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), coming close on the heels of the functions of an autonomous BMLTA. BMLTA also has the power to issue directives to transport agencies to align operations with the CMP goals and sustainable mobility objectives. The GBA's ability to establish Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) also overlaps with the BMLTA's initiatives for technology-driven mobility solutions. A Krishna Prashanth, member at CIVIC Bangalore, said, 'From a constitutional and legal standpoint BMLTA is essentially a planning body that helps build a transit-oriented development plan coupled with land use plan. When GBA assumes this role, the transport plan will not hold any value. The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act is unclear on the process of implementing transport and mobility projects. There is no clear sequence of process as to who will assess the land use, waste management, and other aspects.' Secondly, he said, the previous Finance Commission mandated that BMLTA works in line with the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC), which is democratic and consultative. 'However, GBA neither allies with this nor any urban transport policy envisioned by the central government. Moreover, it is not clear where BMLTA sits in the large scheme of things under GBA,' he said. However, an officer in the state government, on condition of anonymity, told The Indian Express that, 'BMLTA is not dropped, it will be formally constituted in the coming days. However, with GBA, a lot of the latter's functions align with those of BMLTA. Hence, there is a conflict of interest.' According to Sandeep Anirudhan, convenor of Citizens' Agenda for Bengaluru, the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill is poorly drafted and undermines critical planning institutions. 'The constitutionally mandated Metropolitan Planning Committee remains defunct after 33 years, and now its role is usurped by the new Greater Bengaluru Authority. Similarly, the BMLTA, meant to unify transport planning, is sidelined—its executive head is merely an invitee without voting rights. This pattern of creating and then undermining institutions spells disaster, as vested interests exploit the city, pushing Bengaluru into unplanned, unsustainable collapse,' Anirudhan remarked.
