Bengaluru, Nov 11: The Karnataka government also may follow the footsteps of the Delhi government by adopting a plan similar to the odd-even formula to curb the traffic menace and ever-increasing pollution in Bengaluru city.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said: "If it works in Delhi, then we'll ask our transport department to roll it out and also discuss it with the chief minister," Reddy told reporters here.
The odd-even scheme, in which odd numbered cars have to ply on odd dates and even numbered cars on even dates, will come into effect for five days from Monday (November 13) in the national capital, where air pollution has reached alarming levels with thick smog engulfing the region. The odd-even scheme was enforced in Delhi twice in the past - January and April.
Reddy, however, said the odd-even scheme alone may not suffice for a city like Bengaluru where the vehicle population has soared through the years. "In 2013, Bengaluru had 54 lakh vehicles. In four years, nearly 12 lakh vehicles have been added. Pollution cannot be tackled unless the number of vehicles is reduced," Reddy, who was earlier Karnataka's transport minister, said.
The government is also taking steps to widen arterial roads in Bengaluru to decongest traffic, Reddy said. "Sarjapur Road, Hennur Main Road and Bannerghatta Road will be widened based on the new Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) rules," he said, citing examples of how road widening helped vehicular movement in Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
Reddy added that the problem of haphazard parking of vehicles on the streets can be addressed only if each house has space for vehicle parking. "There's a law to this effect that house owners should be responsible for parking vehicles, but the violation is very high," he said.
Welcoming the move Dr Arathi Krishna told coastaldigst.com that Indians stranded in any foreign country can utilize this facility. "Initially, I was approached by Mr Zakaria and Mr Sheik who wanted chartered flights to help their employees fly back to India. I asked them to write to the Indian Ambassador in Saudi Araia Mr Ausaf Sayeed. Then I requested the ambassador to forward the request to Joint Secretary Dr Nagendra Prasad, who is in charge of gulf division in the Ministry of External Affairs, and then to Secretary on charge of Gulf and then I requested Secretary of Economic Relations Mr T S Tirumurti who was also in charge of Gulf to follow this up," she said.
Comments
Good decision. BJP will loose this time
Great. Along with vertical farming also should encourage under over bridge (on pillers). Pollution+Traffic will be less in future
Congress copying AAP trick. Do own idea as BJP doing
It will be great to reach on time, if more buses should be allowed along with this plan
It should implement all over karnataka. But at the same time as similar Delhi govt, relaxation should give to women and grant more KSRTC buses
Add new comment