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The 17-km BPL was first introduced in November 2019 to reduce travel time for bus commuters and ease traffic congestion.
Bengaluru’s buses to beat traffic once again as the dedicated corridor from KR Puram to Silk Board gears up for a grand comeback. (Photo: News Hamster)
Bengaluru’s much-discussed bus priority lane (BPL) is ready for a fresh start.
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has announced that the dedicated lane between KR Puram and Silk Board Junction will be relaunched from January 2026.
The revival comes after strong demand from commuters and public transport groups who have long called for quicker, more reliable bus services.
Why It Was Paused
First introduced as a pilot project back in November 2019, the BPL quickly proved useful by cutting bus travel time by up to 20 minutes. But the success was short-lived. Metro construction along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) meant that nine metres of road space were needed for pillars.
This forced the removal of 25,000 safety bollards and turned the bus lane into mixed traffic once again, as per The Indian Express.
What Has Been Planned
BMTC Managing Director Ramachandran R confirmed that the corporation is now working closely with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and the city’s civic body BBMP.
Together, they are redesigning the bus lane to fit the changed landscape. The plan includes placing new bollards where Metro construction is complete and creating better connections to service roads.
One major reason the first attempt failed was poor enforcement. Many private vehicles ignored the rules and drove on the bus lane. Although fines were announced, not enough traffic police were available to enforce them consistently. Officials now say stricter measures will be in place to keep the lane clear.
Transport activists like Vinay Sreenivas welcome the move but say more needs to be done. He believes every major road should have dedicated bus lanes if Bengaluru wants to fix its traffic mess.
With over 42 lakh people relying on BMTC buses every day, smoother public transport is no longer optional—it’s essential.
Samreen Pall, Senior Sub-Editor at News18, is a Computer Science graduate but a writer at heart, Samreen has one motto that she swears by: ‘Everything is dull and useless if it has no drama in it.’ This motto c…Read More
Samreen Pall, Senior Sub-Editor at News18, is a Computer Science graduate but a writer at heart, Samreen has one motto that she swears by: ‘Everything is dull and useless if it has no drama in it.’ This motto c… Read More
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