Karnataka sets up urban mobility panel to tackle Bengaluru’s traffic crisis

The Karnataka government has constituted the Urban Mobility Mission Committee for Bengaluru (UMMCB) to develop a coordinated, sustainable and technology-driven response to the city’s worsening traffic congestion.

Headed by Home Minister Priyank Kharge, the committee will bring government agencies, private transport and logistics operators, technology firms, academic institutions, subject experts and citizen representatives onto a common platform.

The Home Department issued an order constituting the panel on Saturday.

“Instead of taking separate measures for Bengaluru’s traffic problems, the key objective of this mission is to bring all relevant agencies, the private sector, technology companies, experts and citizens onto a single platform and develop comprehensive solutions,” Kharge said.

The government identified rising vehicular congestion, longer journeys, weak first- and last-mile connectivity, inadequate coordination between public transport systems, parking shortages and freight movement as some of Bengaluru’s most pressing mobility challenges.

The increasing pressure on limited road space is also affecting productivity, economic efficiency and the overall quality of life in the city, it said.

The Minister for Home, Information Technology and Biotechnology and e-Governance will chair the committee, while the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department will serve as its vice-chairperson.

The panel will include senior officials from the Home and Urban Development departments, Greater Bengaluru Authority, Bengaluru City Police, Directorate of Urban Land Transport and Transport Department. Representatives from BMTC, Bengaluru Metro, K-RIDE, BWSSB, the Public Works Department, state road transport corporations, BESCOM, KPTCL and national highway agencies will also participate.

Private mobility operators Namma Yatri, Uber, Rapido, Ola and MoveInSync have been included in the initiative, alongside representatives of autorickshaw and taxi associations, employee transport providers and parking technology companies.

Logistics and delivery businesses, including Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon Logistics and Flipkart, will also be represented. The panel will additionally involve hotels, educational institutions and businesses operating across Bengaluru’s major employment centres.

Representatives from the Outer Ring Road corporate cluster, Manyata Tech Park, Whitefield, Electronic City, ITPL/ITPB, Bagmane Tech Park and Embassy TechVillage will participate in efforts to address congestion around employment hubs.

Academic institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, IIIT-Bangalore and IIM Bangalore will contribute to the mission. Civil society organisations working on road safety and sustainable transport will also be involved.

According to Kharge, the committee will prioritise data-led traffic management, closer coordination between public agencies and the integration of public and private transport services. It will also work to strengthen pedestrian infrastructure and first- and last-mile links.

Improving commuter safety, reliability and connectivity, encouraging greater use of public transport and developing practical solutions for congested business districts will form part of its mandate.

Seven task forces have been created to focus separately on traffic management and road safety, public transport coordination, first- and last-mile connectivity, mobility around corporate and technology clusters, digital mobility and data, urban freight and deliveries, and coordination of infrastructure and roadworks.

The committee will prepare a common Bengaluru Mobility Action Plan and identify roads and junctions facing severe congestion. It will also establish data-sharing mechanisms, develop a Bengaluru Mobility Dashboard and improve access to Metro, bus and suburban railway stations.

Pedestrian and cycling infrastructure will be another area of focus, alongside regular monitoring of the measures introduced under the mission.

The main committee and its task forces will meet every three months. Quarterly progress reports will be submitted, while an annual report will be presented to the Karnataka government.

With IANS inputs