Bengaluru: One of the long-pending demands of Bengalureans is to de-congest vehicles from the Central Business District (CBD) and make the area pollution-free by bringing down the air pollution. But auto drivers and residents are vehemently opposing this idea, saying it may create problems for them.
Auto drivers feel that CBD is one of the most profitable destinations for them, as it covers most of the sought-after halts in the city, including Kempegowda bus terminus, MG Road, Brigade Road, Vidhana Soudha, Cubbon Park, Karnataka High Court etc. Passengers too feel that banning vehicles in this area is not a practical idea.
But now the transport department has come up with a new proposal to make the CBD petrol/ diesel vehicle free. As part of its proposal it has decided to request the city civic agencies to realign the boundaries of the CBD. According to Mr. Ramegowda, commissioner, transport department, the main idea behind the request for the realignment of the CBD boundary is to make it pollution-free from diesel/ petrol vehicles. "We want autos to be banned from the CBD area first.
In the next step we want the area free from all vehicles run by petroleum products. But we have several practical problems, foremost among them is stiff resistance from the auto drivers, residents etc. So now we have decided to request the town planning agencies to realign the CBD boundary. Our plan is to introduce a mass transit system and electric buses on all routes connecting the CBD," he said.
"Presently the CBD covers a vast area, including Kempe Gowda bus terminus and City Railway station. Banning pollutant vehicles, including autos, will definitely create problems. So we want a smaller CBD where we can experiment with a mass transit system to bring down the air pollution level to zero. We want electricity-operated vehicles like buses to ensure free flow of traffic," he said.
Even the residents feel such a proposal is a welcome one. “It is highly impossible to ban private vehicles. But the fact is that even though autos are the lifeline for most of the residents in this area, they are creating a lot of inconvenience, including pollution,” says Mr. Mohammed Qutubuddin, a resident of Richmond town.
