The importance of the bus priority lane on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) became significantly apparent after the Bayapanahalli-KR Pura metro section became operational. The re-implementation of the bus priority lane by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) can reduce the travel time on its buses from 70 minutes to 50-55 minutes, saving close to 20 minutes of commuter time. A senior BMTC official stated “Commuters can save on 15 minutes and fuel consumption will also be reduced,” while adding that the road designated for the bus lane will also need to be improved simultaneously.
source: Deccan Herald
With the metro section between Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura metro now operational, the 37 feeder buses being run to provide last-mile links to Silk Board junction and surrounding areas will also benefit if the bus priority lane is implemented once again. The BMTC runs 315 buses covering Silk Board Junction, KR Puram, Hebbal, and Goraguntepalya, making it one of the high-density routes for the corporation. Out of the 315 buses, 100 are Vajra services and 215 are ordinary buses. It is to be noted that while the Vajra services cost Rs 90 per kilometer for the corporation, they only receive Rs 65-70 in return as revenue.
The bus priority lane was a concept implemented on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) during the year 2019 after considerable requests by ‘public transport activists’, it spans from Central Silk Board to KR Pura, for Rs 14.3 crore for 17km. However, the construction of metro pillars (for the Blue line) on the median of the road required 9 meters of space, leading authorities to remove all the bollards put in place to demarcate the bus lane in mid-2022.
source: Bangalore Mirror
While the 25,000 fiber-reinforced bollards were implemented by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), by the orders of the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), the responsibility of removing them was pushed to BMRCL. In a recent panel discussion, BS Prahlad, Chief Engineer of Road Infrastructure at BBMP said that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is committed to reinstalling the bollards. He stated that once the Metro work is completed on the stretch and the barricades put in place are removed, the BMRCL will be restoring the priority bus lane.
A recent report conducted by Greenpeace India, which did an onboard survey of 979 bus users revealed that 86% of respondents have expressed their support for expanding the bus lane system. According to the report, over 28% of existing bus users reported an improvement in travel time since the implementation of the bus lane. This improvement was particularly significant for those traveling longer distances, with 54% of respondents experiencing a reduction in travel time from 60-90 minutes to 30-60 minutes. Additionally, 82% of respondents found the bus lanes to have a generally positive experience.
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