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Transport in Bengaluru

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Transport in Bengaluru consists of several intracity commute modes such as BMTC buses, Namma Metro rail services, taxis and auto rickshaws, as well as several intercity forms of transport: Government operated KSRTC, NWKRTC, KKRTC, other states RTC buses, Private bus operators, trains, and flights.

Intracity

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Road

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See also: Infrastructure in Bengaluru

Bangalore has a road network of 10,200 kilometres, with a road density (length of road per square kilometre) of 8.2 km, according to a report by Global Mobility Monitor Network. This road density is substantially lower than of that of India's capital Delhi and cited as the reason for traffic congestion in the city.[1]

Private and rental vehicles

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At the end of the 2018–19 financial year, Bangalore had more than 80 lakh vehicles registered in the city, the most in India after Delhi.[2][3] Over 55 lakh two-wheelers (motorcycles) and 15 lakh cars together make up for close to 85 per cent of the vehicles.[4][3] In 2018, Bangalore was reported to have the second highest number of two-wheelers in the country.[5] Bangalore's car density (number of cars for every kilometre of road), however, was found to be 149 – much lower than other major Indian cities.[6] App based rental motorcycles, bicycles and cars are also available for commuting.

Buses

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Main article: Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation
A BMTC Air-conditioned Vajra Buses

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses are the primary mode of public transport in Bangalore. As of September 2019, BMTC operates a fleet of 6023 buses, which is 0.1% of vehicle population.[7] BMTC has a daily ridership of 35.8 lakh.[8] BMTC has 3 major bus stations i.e., Kempegowda Bus Station, Krishna Rajendra Market Bus Station (Kalasipalya Bus Station), or Shivajinagara Bus Station.[8] BMTC also has 35 minor bus stations and 12 TTMCs in various locations in the city and suburbs.

Non-AC buses are branded as "Bengaluru Sarige". Mini Non-AC buses as "Samparka". AC buses as "Vajra". Airport bound AC buses as "Vayu Vajra" and Bus Priority lane buses as "Nimbus".

In 2006, BMTC became the first state road transport undertaking to utilise air-conditioned buses for intra-city transport. As of 2019, BMTC has 825 air-conditioned Volvo buses branded as "Vajra".[9] Several tech parks and groups of companies in the city have partnered with BMTC to provide dedicated bus routes, such as ORRCA, for their employees in order to reduce vehicular traffic.[10] BMTC also operates air-conditioned "Vayu Vajra" buses from different parts of the city to the Kempegowda International Airport. These buses have fewer stops compared to other bus routes.[11]

BMTC issues different types of bus passes for its passengers including yearly student passes, monthly and daily passes. A survey conducted in 2019 found that nearly 48 per cent of BMTC passengers have bus passes.[12]

BMTC ridership saw a decline starting from 2014 to 2015, due to various factors.[13] In 2019, BMTC's operating loss was reported to have gone up from ₹1.06 per km in 2018–19 to ₹4.32 per km in 2019–20.[14] The same year, it was announced that BMTC buses will be provided a "priority lane" on 12 high-density corridors in late-2019 to reduce traffic congestion and travel time branded as "Nimbus".[15][16]

Taxis

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A taxi in Bangalore in 2008.

The number of registered cars in Bangalore was reported to be eleven million in 2022 of that number over 251 thousand were taxis(in 2020)[17] This increase was attributed to the rising popularity of app-based taxi-hailing services such as Ola Cabs and Uber, which have "revolutionised" transport in the city while contributing to the increase in traffic. Taxi services, along with Namma Metro, caused the decline in BMTC and rickshaw ridership, according to a report in The Times of India.[18]

Prior to the entry of Ola Cabs and Uber, Bangalore had taxi services such as Meru Cabs, KSTDC and Mega Cabs. Meru Cabs started plying in 2007,[19] whereas the government-owned KSTDC entered the industry in 2009, providing taxis to and from the airport, in partnership with the Bangalore International Airport Limited.[20]

Some companies also operated bike taxis in Bangalore but the state transport department deemed them to be illegal.[21]

Auto rickshaws

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An auto rickshaw in front of the Vidhana Soudha.

Auto rickshaws are used in the city for travelling short distances. As of January 2019, Bangalore has 1.94 lakh auto rickshaws, out of which more than 25,000 are two-stroke rickshaws. Two-stroke rickshaws, which are said to be a major cause of sound and air pollution, will be allowed to ply only until 2020.[22][23] Rickshaw drivers in the city are known to charge the customer extra and seldom use the meter.[24][25] In 2014, Ola Cabs introduced on-demand rickshaw hailing services on its platform, making Bangalore the first city to get "Ola Auto" Uber also re-introduced 'Uber-Auto' in Bangalore on 2018.[26][27]

As of 2017, the city does not have permission to run electric rickshaws (e-rickshaws) which are smaller than normal auto rickshaws and have a maximum speed of 25kmph. Bangalore Traffic Police stated that, although eco-friendly, e-rickshaws "would slow down vehicular movement."Though e-rickshaws are allowed in other parts of the State in 2021, it is still not allowed in Bangalore. However, the city does have permission to operate e-autorickshaws.[28]

Rail

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There are two types of rail in Bangalore. They are Namma Metro (For travel within the city) and the Indian Railways that links the whole of India.

Metro rail

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Main article: Namma Metro
A Namma Metro train on Green Line.

Namma Metro rapid transit system operated by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) began construction in 2008 and operation started in 2011, after missing several deadlines. As of 2023, it has 65 operational stations across two lines (Green Line and Purple Line), covering a distance of 42.3 km.[29] Several stations are under construction as part of Phase 2 on these two lines, with Yellow, Red and Blue Lines also proposed. The Metro runs six-car and three-car trains which have total capacity of 2002 and 975 respectively. The average daily ridership was reported to be 4.5 lakh in 2019.[30]

Namma Metro has seen a steady growth in passenger footfall and popularity since 2017.[31][32] However, the compartments are reported to be highly crowded during peak hours, despite addition of more trains during such time.[33] There have been claims that Metro has caused road traffic congestion around its stations due to a lack of efficient last-mile connectivity.[34]

Lines:

Commuter/Suburban rail

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Main article: Bangalore Commuter Rail

A 148.17 km commuter rail network project has been approved and is under construction. It will be operated by Bangalore Suburban Rail Company Limited (BSRCL).[35]

Lines:

Sampige Line (Under Construction) Mallige Line (Under Construction) Parijaata Line (Under Construction) Kanaka Line (Under Construction)

Intercity

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Buses

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KSRTC "Airavat Club Class" Scania (Previously Airavat Diamond Class for Scania) Semi-sleeper bus (left) and Mercedes-Benz Semi-sleeper bus (Scrapped) (right)

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), headquartered in Bangalore, along with sister corporations NWKRTC and KKRTC runs intercity buses from the city to various parts of Karnataka as well as neighbouring states. It operates ordinary seater bus services with the brand name "Karnataka Sarige (Karnataka Roadways)". Non-air conditioned sleeper and semi-sleeper with the brand name "Ultra Deluxe Rajahamsa". It was the first state RTC to launch air-conditioned buses in 2002–03 under the brand name "Airavat" these buses are single-axle Semi-sleeper, manufactured by Volvo, Scania and Mercedes-Benz (Previously).[36][37] "Airavat Club Classes" are multi-axle. Air-conditioned sleeper buses manufactured by Corona are branded as "Ambaari Class" and those manufactured by Volvo are branded as "Ambaari Dream Class".

Apart from KSRTC, a number of private operators and other state RTCs ply buses from Bangalore to different parts of South India, West India and Rajasthan. According to a 2012 report in The Hindu, more than 6000 buses belonging to KSRTC, NWKRTC, KKRTC and other states' RTCs, as well as 2000 private buses run from Bangalore to other cities.[38]

Bus stations

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Rail

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A double decker train that runs between Bangalore and Chennai.

Bangalore is part of the South Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways and is well connected to various parts of the country by rail network.

Railway Stations in Bangalore
Station Platforms Code Metro Connection
Terminal stations
Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna - Bangalore Station 10 SBC Yes
Yesvantpur Junction 6 YPR Yes
Bangalore Cantonment 3 BNC No
Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal, Bengaluru 7 SMVB No
Yelahanka Junction 3 YNK No
Halt stations
Krishnarajapura 4 KJM No
Banaswadi 3 BAND No
Kengeri 4 KGI No
Baiyappanahalli 2 BYPL Yes
Bangalore East 2 BNCE No
Channasandra 2 CSDR No
Hoodi Halt 2 HDIH No
Kempegowda International Airport Halt 1 KIAD No
Krishnadevaraya Halt 2 KNDV No
Jnanabharathi Halt 2 GNB Yes
Nayandahalli 4 NYH No
Malleshwaram 2 MWM No
Lottegollahalli 2 LOGH No
Kodigehalli 2 KDGH No
Thanisandra 1 THSA No
Whitefield Satellite Goods Terminal SGWF No
Whitefield 4 WFD No
Hebbal 2 HEB No
Bellandur road 1 BLRR No
Karmelaram 2 CRLM No
Chikkabanavara 5 BAW No
Nelamangala 2 NMGA No

Air

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Kempegowda International Airport

Bangalore is India's third largest city and fourth largest metropolitan Area. It is well connected by air to all the important destinations domestically and Internationally. It houses India's third busiest Airport. The current airport situated 40 km from the heart of the city on NH 44 was built in 2008 due to the growing air traffic and expansion constraints at HAL Airport.

Airport:

References

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  1. ^ Ray, Aparajitha (9 January 2014). "Bangalore fares poorly in road density". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Bengaluru's vehicle population crosses 80 lakh". The Hindu. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b Kulkarni, Chiranjeevi (1 April 2019). "Bengaluru closes in on Delhi, has 80 lakh vehicles". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  4. ^ "TOTAL VEHICLES REGISTERED IN BENGALURU METROPOLITAN CITY AS ON FEB 2019" (PDF). transport.karnataka.gov.in. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  5. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew (31 January 2018). "At 50 lakh, Bengaluru has 2nd most number of two-wheelers". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Mumbai is India's most car-congested city with 510 cars per kilometre". Business Today. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Bengaluru closes in on Delhi, has 80 lakh vehicles". Deccan Herald. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Bengaluru: BMTC daily ridership drops to 36 lakh as commuters shift gears". The Times of India. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  9. ^ "BMTC will phase out Volvo buses, lease EVs". The Times of India. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  10. ^ Prasad, Preeja (23 March 2019). "Don't need empty BMTC Volvo buses adding to Bengaluru's traffic mess, say citizens". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  11. ^ Lalitha, S (18 March 2019). "Vayu Vajra's monthly pass boost for BMTC". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  12. ^ Menezes, Naveen (24 January 2019). "48% of BMTC users hold a pass: Survey". The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  13. ^ "BMTC sees steady decline in ridership". The Hindu. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  14. ^ Kulkarni, Chiranjeevi (19 September 2019). "BMTC credit rating goes south". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  15. ^ Arakal, Ralph Alex. "Bengaluru to get dedicated bus lanes from November 1; BBMP directed to build bus shelters". The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  16. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew. "Bus lanes may win BMTC back users, decongest roads". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Number of registered taxis across India in financial year 2020, by major cities (in 1,000s)". Statista. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Ola & Uber revolutionised transport in Bengaluru; but congest city roads & hit use of mass transport". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  19. ^ Suresh, Haripriya (1 September 2019). "Mahindra to take on Ola, Uber, acquires 55% stake in Meru Cabs". The News Minute. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  20. ^ "Many KSTDC airport cabs run without documents". The Times of India. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  21. ^ Menezes, Naveen (18 February 2019). "Transport department halts Ola bike taxi". The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  22. ^ Menezes, Naveen (2 January 2019). "Bengaluru: Transport dept to issue new auto permits after 7 yrs in Bengaluru". The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  23. ^ Prasad S, Shyam (16 April 2019). "Bangalore Auto Drivers: Two-stroke autos to ply till 2020: Karnataka government to High Court". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  24. ^ "No auto driver is ready to go by the meter in Bengaluru". The Hindu. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  25. ^ Prasad, Preeja (27 November 2018). "Bengaluru autorickshaw drivers charge extra despite police action". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  26. ^ Shrivastava, Aditi (18 November 2014). "Ola starts on-demand auto rickshaw pilot in Bangalore". The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  27. ^ "Ola comes out with auto-rickshaw service in New Delhi". India Today. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  28. ^ "E-rickshaws in Bengaluru: To ply or not to ply". The Hindu. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  29. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew (15 October 2019). "BMRCL fare-box revenue increased by 26.34%". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  30. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew (14 September 2019). "Bengaluru Metro: 6-coach trains may be delayed". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  31. ^ "Bengaluru's Namma Metro's popularity soars, records highest ever ridership". The News Minute. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  32. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew (22 January 2019). "Namma Metro surges ahead, clocks four-crore jump in annual ridership". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  33. ^ Phadnis, Vivek (17 March 2019). "A peak-hour ride on Namma Metro". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  34. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew (19 September 2018). "Namma Metro has not cut congestion, led to new problems: Transport chief". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  35. ^ "5. Protecting the Suburban Lifestyle: Consumption, Crime, and the American Dream", Look Closer, Rutgers University Press, pp. 179–211, 31 December 2019, retrieved 14 December 2021
  36. ^ Mehrotra, Riya (6 November 2019). "Come 2020, KSRTC wants you to have a smooth ride". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  37. ^ Philip, Christin Mathew (27 April 2019). "KSRTC's Volvo multi-axle sleeper buses to dent private operators biz". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  38. ^ Sastry, Anil Kumar (20 August 2012). "As KSRTC shunts operations out of city, private buses move in". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
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