K'taka Assembly passes BMLTA Bill to unify public transport

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill, which seeks to consolidate all forms of public transportation, including autorickshaws, city buses, and metro trains, was approved by the Karnataka Assembly. Transportation in Bengaluru will fall under the jurisdiction of the BMLTA, which will have 279 sq km of territory, according to Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs J C Madhuswamy of Karnataka. This Authority has been planned to integrate all the modes of public transport. It will take all the policy decisions related to urban mobility, he said as he moved the BMLTA bill proposed by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the Karnataka Assembly. In order to enable comprehensive transportation planning, the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), which establishes a framework for the integration of various institutional and departmental functions, was supplemented by this bill, according to the Minister. In support of the proposal, Bommai argued that Bengaluru's growth was not planned, with planning on one side and growth on the other. The roads did not widen but everyday 5,000 new vehicles are added to the city. The city has 13 million people but soon the number of vehicles here will overtake the city population, Bommai said. He also emphasised the need for a scientific investigation, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), which has its headquarters in Bengaluru, has been contacted to conduct the investigation. According to the Chief Minister, 7,000 of the cameras purchased through the Nirbhaya Scheme are operational. These actions have resulted in much higher fines being collected from traffic offenders than were previously done through physical inspection. The bill states that the Chief Minister will serve as the ex-officio chairperson and that the minister in charge of Bengaluru and the minister of transportation will serve as the vice chairs. Members will include the Divisional Railway Manager, Additional Chief Secretaries, the Mayor of Bengaluru, the Police Commissioner of Bengaluru, Commissioners of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the Bangalore Development Authority, the Managing Directors of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Bangalore Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises, and the Regional Officer of the National Highway Authority of India. Additionally, it has suggested adding representatives of civil society and experts in urban mobility to its membership. By creating and maintaining the Comprehensive Mobility Plan, the BMLTA will have the responsibility of promoting seamless mobility in the Urban Mobility Region through integrated land use and transportation planning (CMP). The City Mobility Investment Programme created in accordance with the CMP will also be reviewed and approved by it. See also: Delhi govt to set up sustainable mobility centre with IIIT Delhi Metro to connect Noida Airport and New Delhi Railway Station