Goodbye to Bengaluru, Delhi traffic congestion soon? New road map in works for multi-modal transport infrastructure

Bengaluru, Delhi traffic congestion to soon be a thing of the past? The government is actively working on a comprehensive plan to address the issue of traffic congestion in Bengaluru, which ranks second globally in terms of traffic congestion, and New Delhi, according to an ET report. The plan is being developed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation.
According to officials, the proposed plan, set to be implemented in the coming months, will focus on creating a multi-modal transport infrastructure to decongest the roads. One of the key aspects of this plan is that it will consider both goods and passenger transport as demand. Currently, most urban planning initiatives primarily concentrate on passenger movement, despite goods traffic being a major contributor to congestion in urban areas.
The advantage of this plan is that it can be replicated by other cities facing similar challenges, an official quoted in the report said. Local administrations and the urban development ministry can adopt these models according to their specific needs and requirements, the official added.
Traffic congestion is a persistent problem in many cities, and Bengaluru’s infamous roads made headlines recently when a stand-up comedian’s show caused major traffic snarls. In an effort to tackle this issue, most cities have imposed restrictions on the movement of trucks and heavy-load vehicles within municipal limits. However, even with these measures in place, large cities have struggled to effectively manage both goods and passenger transport.

The proposed plan will also look to address the movement of passengers and goods to and from congested areas near railway stations, which are crucial transportation hubs in cities. It will complement the city master plans of Delhi and Bengaluru. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is currently finalizing the Master Plan for Delhi-2041 (MPD-2041) and Regional Plan-2041 (RP-2041). Similarly, the Bangalore Development Authority has proposed a Revised Master Plan for Bengaluru-2031, which is yet to be finalized.
Vinayak Chatterjee, the founder of Infravision Foundation, an infrastructure development think-tank, emphasized the importance of reducing the number of cars on the roads to alleviate congestion. He suggested investing in last-mile connectivity to ensure that no person is more than 10 minutes away from public transportation. Chatterjee also recommended the establishment of a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority to enhance transport systems in major cities.
He further highlighted the need for India to explore municipal bonds and raise funds from the capital market to support infrastructure development in these cities. Chatterjee emphasized that comprehensive reforms in the governance and administration of cities are essential, including measures such as double-entry bookkeeping, user-pay charges, and improved property tax collection.