In a big relief to commuters traveling on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has permitted the buses belonging to corporate companies to use the bus priority lane.
The ORR has three lanes in both directions of which one has been reserved as a priority lane for BMTC buses. However, the work on Namma Metro's Phase 2A (Silk Board-KR Puram) has led to the barricading of a lane.
In the wake of unlock measures, more companies are returning to normal working conditions. It is estimated that about 1,500 buses, either belonging to companies or providing shuttle service, carry employees to and from offices situated along the ORR, known for traffic congestion.
DULT's exemption to the companies will not only help employees of the firms traveling in buses but also reduce the pressure on the single lane road for general commuters.
The directorate's decision was taken following discussions on the traffic movement plan. "It is requested that the bus lane usage by company buses/shuttle be operationalised on ORR," DULT commissioner V Manjula said in a communication to the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B R Ravikanthe Gowda.
The exempted buses, however, have to display the company name and logo visibly for enabling the enforcement. However, those who travel in taxis will not get access to the priority lane, the DULT said.
The Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) welcomed the relaxation. "ORRCA requested DULT to consider allowing company-provided transport in the Bus Priority Lane. We are glad to see that our request has been accepted. This will save time for the employees and could result in employees opting to use company-provided transport instead of personal vehicles which in turn will reduce the number of vehicles on road." said Krishna Kumar Gowda, Operations manager at ORRCA.
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