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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Bengaluru Traffic Police push for Wednesday WFH to tackle road congestion
Bengaluru traffic police have proposed a mid-week Work From Home (WFH) initiative to address the city's chronic traffic congestion, particularly along the heavily burdened Outer Ring Road (ORR). The news, first reported by local media outlet B engaluru Mirror earlier this week, states that the plan aims to reduce peak-hour gridlock in the city's IT corridor by encouraging tech firms to allow employees to work remotely every Wednesday. The proposal is part of a broader set of traffic decongestion measures developed jointly by the Bengaluru Traffic Police, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), and representatives from the IT industry. Combating peak hour traffic: Staggered shifts, shuttle services The plan also calls for staggered office hours and greater reliance on organised shuttle services. Officials say the measures are aimed squarely at easing the morning choke between 9:00 and 10:00 am, when traffic on ORR slows to a crawl and often brings movement to a standstill. Joint Commissioner of Traffic, Karthik Reddy, said companies have been advised to start shifts as early as 7:30 am and schedule internal meetings with commuting times in mind. The city is also asking firms to take more responsibility for employee transport by deploying shuttles and coordinating with BMTC, which has committed to expanding its fleet of air-conditioned buses serving the tech corridor. Roadwork, illegal parking puts tech corridor under pressure The push comes at a time when the city's infrastructure is under immense strain. Several stretches of ORR are still undergoing delayed roadworks, and narrow junctions continue to be clogged by illegal parking and poor lane discipline. To address this, police are implementing a zero-tolerance policy on parking violations near tech parks and junctions, with immediate towing now in effect. Companies have been asked to assist with enforcement by deploying traffic marshals and volunteers. IT industry's take on Bengaluru traffic Representatives from Bengaluru's IT sector, including the Greater Bengaluru IT and Companies Association, have said they support the WFH plan, but only if it is enforced properly and communicated in advance. They also requested consideration for periodic Saturday WFH days to ease weekend congestion during events or infrastructure work. Other suggestions from the sector included: Mandatory staggered timings across companies Enhanced carpooling incentives Restrictions on heavy vehicles during rush hours What's causing major traffic jams in Bengaluru? According to a report by The Times of India, more than 300,000 new private vehicles were registered in the first six months of 2025 in Bengaluru, with June accounting for 49,620. The city already has more than 12.3 million registered vehicles. Bengaluru's traffic woes have also worsened further following the state-wide ban on bike taxis in June 2025. The ban, which eliminated a key last-mile commute option for thousands, has led to an 18–22 per cent spike in peak-hour congestion within a week, according to a report by Moneycontrol. With over 600,000 riders affected and commuters shifting to autos and cabs, road occupancy has surged. Authorities hope that the mid-week WFH model, combined with tighter enforcement and better coordination with employers, can buy time and breathing room until longer-term fixes—like metro expansion and road widening—catch up to the city's rapid growth.
India Today
6 days ago
- Automotive
- India Today
EaseMyTrip co-founder shares update on Bengaluru traffic project to ease jams
Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip, who earlier pledged Rs 1 crore to help fix Bengaluru's traffic woes, has shared a major update on the a post on July 24, Pitti said he is confident of improving Bengaluru traffic by 25–30% within a year using artificial intelligence, Google Maps data, satellite imagery, and large-scale collaboration with public and private this month, Pitti announced the initiative on X, calling it the 'Bangalore Traffic Project.' Within just ten days, he met senior officials from Bengaluru Traffic Police, BBMP, City Police, the Google team, professors from IISc, scientists, road engineers, and entrepreneurs working on traffic solutions. 'All three newly appointed commissioners were very kind to invite me to showcase existing capabilities and collaborate to work together. For the first time we are bringing all key public and private players - to the same table,' Pitti said in his the first set of projects underway are traffic simulation models that can process millions of re-routing options based on real-time data from platforms like Uber, Ola, Rapido, and Google. Some of these companies have already agreed to share their data. The goal is to predict gridlocks before they happen and take corrective steps in advance to avoid traffic component is upgrading the existing government app used to report potholes.'I will take ownership of that app, to increase its scope (report illegal parking, broken signal, wrong side driving, water logging, broken vehicle, etc). I will also increase accountability and recognition by showcasing all the complaints lodged AND action-taken (along with time-stamp) publicly,' he added. Pitti is also working on a hyperlocal rain prediction system to help authorities plan road maintenance more efficiently. 'The government starts infrastructure work, and then it rains on that stretch, halting everything,' he explained. This new tool could also assist in fixing drainage issues before they escalate.A pilot project is already testing "Green Wave Signals"—a system to sync traffic lights so that vehicles can move in waves instead of stopping at every junction. If the pilot succeeds, the concept may be rolled out to those who argue that Bengaluru's traffic issues stem from infrastructure problems, Pitti said, 'If we keep waiting for better infra, we'll always be catching up with the West. There's plenty we can do to optimise what already exists.'He concluded with a call to action, asking citizens to join a WhatsApp community where they can report major traffic trouble spots. 'The more support we get, the more people and institutions we can bring in. I'm in it for the long haul. Are you?'- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
‘Bengaluru traffic will improve by 30% in a year': EaseMyTrip co-founder after meeting city officials
Just days after pledging ₹1 crore to help fix Bengaluru's chronic traffic congestion, EaseMyTrip co-founder Prashant Pitti has shared a major update, a plan he says could reduce traffic in the city by 25–30% within a year. Prashant Pitti met with the Commissioners of the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP).(X/Prashant Pitti) Pitti met with the Commissioners of the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), and the City Police to discuss actionable solutions to the gridlock plaguing the city. Taking to social media platform X, he wrote, 'MAJOR UPDATE on Bangalore Traffic Project! I am confident of improving Bangalore traffic by 25-30% within a year's time.' Check out his post here: In a detailed post, Pitti said he has brought together key public and private stakeholders, including officials, Google's team, IISc professors, scientists, road engineers, and traffic-tech entrepreneurs, to collaborate on the initiative. He highlighted that both BTP and IISc already have simulation models capable of generating multiple re-routing options to reduce travel time. He has also requested mobility data from Google, Uber, Ola, and Rapido to improve the accuracy of these models. Quick optimization ideas Among the quick optimization ideas he listed is the enhancement of the government's existing complaint app for potholes. Pitti said he plans to take ownership of the platform and expand its capabilities to cover issues like illegal parking, broken signals, wrong-side driving, waterlogging, and vehicle breakdowns. To improve transparency, he also aims to publicly display all complaints and the corresponding action taken, with timestamps. Pitti also proposed a 'Hyperlocal Rain Predictor' to help the city plan roadwork better. "Govt closes the road to do infra/maintenance work, but then it starts raining on that patch of road and work halts. This leads to crazy downtime and traffic congestion. Hyperlocal Rain Predictor project will also allow us to fix drainage issues, even before it happens," he wrote. He further noted that a pilot project is already underway to implement 'Green Wave Signals,' a system that syncs traffic lights so that vehicles can move in waves rather than stop at every junction. 'We will analyse the results to see if it makes sense to be done at city level,' he added. Pitti also addressed critics who say the traffic issue stems from poor infrastructure. "Many people mentioned in my last post 'Bangalore Traffic is an Infra problem', congrats on stating the obvious. If we continue to wait for the infra to become better, then we are merely playing a catch-up game with the West," he wrote. 'There is so much scope to optimize current infra, and I would rather focus on that. This is no longer about rants or blaming the system. It's about practical optimism, believing that with data, intent, and collaboration, we can improve what feels unfixable.' He also invited the public to join a WhatsApp community where people can post traffic issues they face at specific junctions or roads. These details, he said, will be compiled and shared with authorities. Pitti had earlier revealed that the idea was born out of a frustrating experience where he was stuck in traffic for over two hours while covering just 11 km late at night in Bengaluru. He spent 100 minutes stranded at a choke point on Outer Ring Road, with no traffic light or police officer in sight. (Also Read: Worm found in pongal at Rameshwaram Cafe's Bengaluru airport outlet, owners cry foul)
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Bengaluru traffic police to crack the whip on civic contractors to ease road congestion
In a bid to ease traffic congestion and ensure smoother commuting, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) have taken a stern stance against companies responsible for civic works that are either delayed or abandoned midway. The BTP will issue notices to civic contractors and utility service providers, directing them to complete long-pending road works within a week's time or face legal action . Karthik Reddy, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, who reviewed the traffic situation soon after taking over, told the media that incomplete or prolonged civic works—ranging from road digging for drainage, cable laying, to utility repairs—have become a major cause of traffic snarls across key junctions and arterial roads in the city. 'We have issued notices to such companies which have taken up civic works after obtaining due permission from Traffic Department or any other civic agencies and not completed the work,' Mr. Reddy told the media. These companies have been notified to complete the work within a week failing which legal action will be initiated against him, he reiterated . He further said that the Traffic Department would also recommend the civic agencies to blacklist such companies for their inordinate delays in completing the work and causing traffic problems in the city. Despite repeated requests and reminders, several contractors failed to restore the roads, leaving commuters to navigate through bottlenecks, dust, and uneven surfaces, which forced us to take this step, a police officer from the east division said. The move has come as a relief to road users, especially with monsoon rains making the situation worse. The police have also urged civic agencies like BBMP and BWSSB to coordinate better and avoid overlapping work that further adds to delays. With traffic density rising and road space shrinking due to civic works, the Bengaluru Traffic Police hope this action will prompt faster project execution and ultimately provide some breathing space to the city's choked roads. 40 choke points In addition to this, the department also identified 40 choke points in the city, a majority of them in the east division. One such example is a stretch between Silk Board Junction to K.R. Puram, which house several IT companies along the ring road. The city has 1.2 crore vehicles registered for the 1.4 crore population where traffic management is a challenging task, a senior police officer said . The traffic police are also focussing on haphazard parking of vehicles on roads which blocks the smooth movement of vehicles . The jurisdictional traffic police have been directed to take up the parking issue seriously and take necessary action. The BBMP has agreed to provide 10 towing vehicles to the department along with drivers. The traffic police will enforce the traffic violations strictly and even BBMP can take up action under BBMP Act on towing vehicles and enforce road discipline, he added .
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Traffic police to crack the whip on civic contractors to ease road congestion
In a bid to ease traffic congestion and ensure smoother commuting, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) have taken a stern stance against companies responsible for civic works that are either delayed or abandoned midway. The BTP will issued notices to civic contractors and utility service providers, directing them to complete long-pending road works within a week's time or face legal action . Karthik Reddy, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, who reviewed the traffic situation soon after taking over, told the media that incomplete or prolonged civic works—ranging from road digging for drainage, cable laying, to utility repairs—have become a major cause of traffic snarls across key junctions and arterial roads in the city. 'We have issued notices to such companies which have taken up civic works after obtaining due permission from Traffic Department or any other civic agencies and not completed the work,' Mr. Reddy told the media. These companies have been notified to complete the work within a week failing which legal action will be initiated against him, he reiterated . He further said that the Traffic Department would also recommend the civic agencies to blacklist such companies for their inordinate delays in completing the work and causing traffic problems in the city. Despite repeated requests and reminders several contractors failed to restore the roads, leaving commuters to navigate through bottlenecks, dust, and uneven surfaces, which forced us to take this step, a police officer from the east division said . The move has come as a relief to road users, especially with monsoon rains making the situation worse. The police have also urged civic agencies like BBMP and BWSSB to coordinate better and avoid overlapping work that further adds to delays. With traffic density rising and road space shrinking due to civic works, the Bengaluru Traffic Police hope this action will prompt faster project execution and ultimately provide some breathing space to the city's choked roads. 40 choke points In addition to this, the department also identified 40 choke points in the city, a majority of them in the east division. One such example is a stretch between Silk Board Junction to K.R. Puram, which house several IT companies along the ring road. The city has 1.2 crore vehicles registered for the 1.4 crore population where traffic management is a challenging task, a senior police officer said . The traffic police are also focussing on haphazard parking of vehicles on roads which blocks the smooth movement of vehicles . The jurisdictional traffic police have been directed to take up the parking issue seriously and take necessary action. The BBMP has agreed to provide 10 towing vehicles to the department along with drivers. The traffic police will enforce the traffic violations strictly and even BBMP can take up action under BBMP Act on towing vehicles and enforce road discipline, he added .
