Mangalore: Traffic, Transportation Plan for City to be Ready Soon
The Hindu
Pics: Dayananda Kukkaje
MANGALORE, Oct 24: Directorate of Urban Land Transport is expected to publish a comprehensive traffic and transportation plan for Mangalore city and adjoining areas in eight months, according to Gaurav Gupta, Commissioner of Urban Land Transport and Managing Director of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation.
Speaking at a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here he said that the Government had appointed a private agency to study and prepare the report. The agency would conduct the survey, collect data and organise a public consultation, before finalising the plan. The plan would help in taking decisions about investments on infrastructure.
He suggested the authorities of the agency to keep the local conditions in mind while preparing the plan. “We do not want to copy Bangalore,” he said.
Like all other cities, Mangalore was also growing and management of traffic and transportation would emerge as a challenge.
The national urban transport policy had emphasised that the traffic and transportation plan should ensure safe mobility of people. Mobility did not mean only the movement of vehicles. Pedestrians should be able to walk safely, without hassle.
Traffic and transportation conditions in the city should be made efficient within the existing infrastructure such as roads, using proper methods.
It might not be possible to widen roads in all places. The traffic and transportation plan for Mangalore would cover the areas under the jurisdiction of Mangalore City Corporation and its adjoining areas, the local plan area, Mr. Gupta said.
B. Madhav Bhandary, chairman, Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), said that the master plan for Mangalore local plan area was expected to be ready within four months.
The Government had identified eight roads for widening in the local plan area, he said.
Bhasker Saliyan, organising secretary, Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners’ Association, suggested that over bridges or under passes at select busy places in the city could ease the traffic movement as passengers would not have to run here and there to board buses.
B. Nagaraja Shetty, chairman, Karnataka Karavali Abhivruddhi Pradhikara, M. Maheshwar Rao, Deputy Commissioner, spoke.
According to a note circulated in the meeting, the population of the city is expected to reach 6.75 lakh by 2,016 from the present 4.22 lakh.