With the ‘positives’ of strict traffic restrictions that saw private heavy vehicles kept out of Bengaluru during the Invest Karnataka meet, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board will urge the State government to look into this experiment as a long-term solution.
KSPCB Chairman Lakshman said these restrictions can enable an improvement in air quality within congested areas. “Why not do it on a trial basis for a few days a week and see the results. This will be a proactive step at controlling pollution,” he said.
The drop in pollution levels can also give an insight to the working of the proposed Peripheral Ring Road, which will put more trucks off the busy Outer Ring Road.
Traffic too improves
The restrictions had a positive impact on traffic flow too. There were no traffic snarls on the congested airport road at the point where the six-lane road narrows to a four-lane road after Kempapura.
At the busy Yeshwantpur junction, which is a major entry point for buses and trucks, traffic was particularly smooth, said S. Girish, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic West).
The traffic police department has engaged a private consultant to bring out a report on extending the ban. “It has been smooth throughout the city (when restrictions were in force) and can provide some us insights,” said M.A. Saleem, Additional Commissioner (Traffic).
Disadvantage to lorry drivers
The ‘positives’ came at a great disadvantage for lorry drivers and owners. “More than 1,500 trucks make their way to markets in the city while several thousand loads of cement and steel fuel the construction sector. Why target us when many sectors of the city rely on us?” says G.N. Shanmugappa, President of the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners’ and Agents’ Association who estimated the loss of business in the five days at Rs. 300 crore. He believed that the move was counter-intuitive, as many larger trucks shifted their loads into multiple smaller trucks to reach desperate customers within the city.
