Greenpeace India and garment workers submit petition to DULT on bus priority lanes

Greenpeace India, along with the women garment workers’ community of Tumakuru Road area, submitted 28,995 petitions to the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) demanding the execution of 11 bus priority lanes in Bengaluru as proposed in the city’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan as well as the reinstallation of one of the bus lanes on Outer Ring Road.

Greenpeace India said that Tumakuru Road in Bengaluru is one of the city’s key routes, connecting the central business district with the northwestern suburbs and industrial areas.

“This road experiences significant traffic congestion, especially during peak hours as it handles a substantial volume of traffic including heavy delivery trucks travelling to and from the factories combined with other vehicles on the route,” Greenpeace India said.

It further added that Bengaluru’s public bus transport has seen a notable increase in ridership among women due to the Shakti scheme implemented by the Karnataka government in 2023 which allows free travel for women in State-run non-premium buses.

“The installation of a dedicated bus lane on the Outer Ring Road in 2020 increased the daily ridership by 3,727 in a month as stated by BMTC. However, the lack of dedicated public bus lanes affects the mobility of marginalised communities, largely women and other bus commuters who are dependent on public buses for their daily commute,” it said.

Additionally, the garment workers’ community also demanded streamlined, safe, and well-managed public bus infrastructure, with an increased BMTC fleet size of 15,000, better frequency, and routes covering all areas effectively.

“Bus lanes are an important part of any public bus transport system which help to improve the efficiency and reliability of public bus. By submitting the petition demands to DULT with the support of members of the public, Greenpeace India aims at a fair and just transition by including the marginalised communities in amplifying the demand for public bus transport in Bengaluru,” said Sharat M.S., Greenpeace India

Jaymala, a garment factory worker from Tumakuru Road said, “It takes two hours to go from Nagasandra on Tumakuru Road to the central areas of the city like K.R. Market. If the bus lane is demarcated, then it reduces travel time considerably. Instead of using the metro, we will be able to use the bus instead and save on the commute expenses.”

Published – September 12, 2024 09:05 pm IST

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