Bengaluru: Two-wheeler riders have won a reprieve on two of Bengaluru’s busiest elevated roads, with the proposed ban on bikes being put on hold amid mounting commuter protests and growing congestion on the roads below.Home minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday said restrictions on two-wheelers on the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) elevated road and the Electronics City Elevated Corridor would not be enforced immediately and would instead be introduced in phases after assessing their impact on traffic. While the bike-ban was imposed on KIA road on Sept 4 it was supposed to be imposed on Electronics City flyover from Sept 11.The govt’s move comes after bikers complained that being forced off the KIA elevated road and onto surface road had dramatically increased their commute. Several riders told The Times of India that journeys that earlier took a fraction of the time were now taking up to three times longer, while the diversion was also adding pressure to already congested roads underneath. The two corridors, which witness heavy movement of vehicles every day, were bundled along with three other flyovers for imposing traffic restrictions.Kharge said an initial review by Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) showed that traffic was moving smoothly on the BGS Flyover, Peenya Flyover and Double Decker Flyover. The experience on the KIA elevated road, however, was different.“At the KIA elevated road, officials observed that diverting multiple types of vehicles — including goods vehicles, two-wheelers and autorickshaws — onto the service road at entry points all at once was leading to traffic conflicts, queues and congestion,” Kharge said. The sudden diversion was also putting additional pressure on parallel surface roads, prompting the government to rethink its approach.Under the revised plan for KIA Road, the existing time-based restrictions on goods vehicles during morning and evening peak hours on the Airport Road elevated corridor will continue. But two-wheelers and autorickshaws will continue to use the elevated road until further notice. BTP has advised bikers using the stretch to remain in the left lane, maintain lane discipline, avoid risky overtaking and stick to the 60 kmph speed limit.A similar approach will be adopted on the Electronics City Elevated Corridor from September 11. Initially, restrictions there will apply only to goods vehicles. Bikes will continue to be allowed on the elevated corridor for now. Kharge said the government did not want to impose traffic changes merely through orders without assessing their real-world impact.“Our aim is not to impose traffic changes in Bengaluru merely through orders, but to study their real impact on local traffic conditions and implement them in a phased manner that causes the least inconvenience to the public,” he said.The BTP will continue to monitor traffic flow, road safety, the feasibility of enforcing restrictions at entry points and the impact on adjoining surface roads before deciding whether to introduce the remaining restrictions.
