After auto-rickshaw ban, activists accuse govt of knee-jerk reaction

The government’s withdrawal of auto-rickshaws running under Ola and Uber shows its incompetency in providing effective public transport, activists and experts have said.

Vinay Srinivasa, member, Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, asked why the government should act so suddenly if aggregation of autos are illegal. “What are the officials doing all these years? Why jump into action all of a sudden?” he asked.

Accusing the department of performing miserably in providing public transport, Srinivasa pointed out that transport is a major public utility that provides access to education, health, and livelihood.

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“We have been demanding governments to double the fleet size and cut the fares by 50%. Instead of coming up with concrete action plans, we see these ridiculous moves,” he added.

Social entrepreneur and mobility expert Ashwin Mahesh, instrumental in the route rationalisation of BMTC buses, said the government’s approach is riddled with problems due to lack of uniformity.

“If the government genuinely cares about the common man’s transportation needs, the solution is to provide efficient public transport. The BMTC’s current fleet strength of 6,500 is very little. Going by global standards, 120 buses are required per 1 lakh people. This means Bengaluru needs about 16,000 buses. Arbitrary action will only deepen the crisis,” he said.

He said boosting supply is the best way to contain fares, adding that improving quality, frequency, and availability of buses will balance the fare.

Ashish Verma, IISc’s professor of transport engineering, said isolated action will not yield the desired effect. “Unfortunately, decisions are not made by looking at the big picture. Studies from the last 13 years show that Bengaluru’s traffic congestion has worsened. The governments have failed to prioritise the issues, be it strengthening BMTC (fleets) or pushing for metro corridor projects,” he said.

Verma blamed lack of vision for hasty actions. “Bans and restrictions only lead to confusion. The government should chart out the needs of the travelling public and evolve benchmarks for regular monitoring. This is the reason a robust body like the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority is required,” he said.

Ashwin Mahesh echoed the view. "The government's restriction of aggregators lacks clarity. Private players thrive because the government has created a vacuum. Even now, priority is given to build flyovers. Every department plans projects without looking at the full picture," he said.