Our traffic policy - dog chasing its tail

We have two possible routes that we can take to solve Bangalore’s traffic problem.

1. Increase infrastructure to accommodate higher traffic2. Reduce the need for higher infrastructure, by reducing traffic.

Which route do we take ? Let's look at the options.

When we travel, we would ideally like to do so in a doorstep-to-doorstep mode of transport, that picks us up from our doorstep at point A and deposits us at the doorstep at point B. We would also like to do this with minimal expenditure of physical energy. This can be only achieved by means of a personal automobile, and so whichever of us can afford to do so buys a two-wheelers or car.

As the number of personal automobiles grows, more vehicles are vying for the same amount of road space and the average speed drops. To ensure that the speed does not drop, we need to keep increasing the road space or improve the utilization of the existing road space. Assuming that we have achieved the best utilization possible, the only option is to increase the road surface area by widening roads and building multiple 'storeys' of roads like the elevated road on Hosur Road.

Let's assume that in the short term we manage to resolve the traffic congestion issue by widening roads all over the city, like the BBMP is planning to do now. We still have to deal with these problems:

Automobile exhaust killsAir pollution levels around Trinity Circle register at 232 of the Air Quality Index (AQI) value. Anything above 100 on the AQI is a sign of severe air pollution. Studies estimate that 10 per cent of Bangalore’s 60 lakh population and over 50 per cent of its children below 18 years suffer from air pollution-related ailments.

You're not safe even in a carConcentrations of some toxic chemicals in cars are 5-10 times higher than those found in homes and offices. The main chemicals are fire retardants which make the plastics in the car less inflammable in case of accidents, and phthalates which are used to soften plastics used in areas like seats. These cause neuro-developmental damage, thyroid hormone disruption, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and premature births.

The wider the roads, the hotter the cityAny urban area is an Urban Heat Island (UHI), an area significantly warmer than its surroundings. This is caused by replacing vegetation by asphalt and concrete for roads, flyovers elevated highways and buildings. You have probably experienced this as a sudden drop in temperature as you drive through Cubbon Park or past the Golf course or Palace grounds in the evening.

A 10 % reduction in vegetation can increase temperature by 4 deg. C. The proposed widening of 140 km. of roads in the city will result in cutting down around 30,000 trees, equivalent to 10 Cubbon Parks, and therefore a serious rise in Bangalore's temperature.

Roads are eating into our homes and businesses.

Bangalore's current road network can accommodate 10 Lakh vehicles, but the city has 32 Lakh vehicles.The vehicle population increased by 36 % between 2005 and 2007. Extrapolating, this means the population will double between 2005 and 2010. What would happen to your home if the width of the road in front of it were to be doubled every 5 years ? You will not have a home to live in, because your vehicle’s home is being continuously expanded.

The result of the present transport policy is: 32 Lakh vehicle population. 1300 new vehicles added every day. Highest road death statistics in the country. Pollution levels are alarmingly high. The government spending enormous amounts of money on roads. The temperature has risen by 5 degrees in the past decade. The city is being designed to accommodate vehicles, not people.

In sum, this solution will not work:1. Doubling the width of the road every 5 years would mean destroying all our homes and businesses.2. It is illogical to build a city to suit its automobile population instead of its human population3. Like a dog chasing its own tail, infrastructure will forever be chasing the rising vehicular population,

never catching up with it.

The only option that will work now is to reduce the population of vehicles, and thereby reduce the need for additional road space. This can be done by shifting to public transport.