A Greenpeace India survey, ‘Relying on Bus: Studying the Impacts of Bengaluru’s Bus Lane on Bus Use’, released Wednesday states that a whopping 86 per cent of respondents demanded expansion of the bus lane system in the city. The study sheds light on the bus lane’s positive effects on travel time and potential solutions for Bengaluru’s air pollution crisis. The respondents suggested expanding the bus lane to key areas such as Hebbal, Tin factory, Silk Board, Marathahalli, Whitefield, Electronic City, BTM Layout, Majestic, and KR Puram. The report is based on an onboard survey of 979 bus passengers conducted between May and July 2022. The bus lane, which ran along the Outer Ring Road on a stretch of about 18.5 km, was discontinued in mid-2022 after works for the metro commenced. According to the report, over 28 per cent of bus users reported an improvement in travel time since the implementation of the bus lane. This improvement was particularly significant for those traveling longer distances, with 54 per cent of respondents experiencing a reduction in travel time from 60-90 minutes to 30-60 minutes. Additionally, 82 per cent of respondents found the bus lane to have a generally positive impact. The survey was analysed after studying how bus commuters perceived the changes in journey time, speed, waiting time, ease of boarding, crowding, staff behaviour, and safety standards since the introduction of the bus lane. Three per cent of respondents said they did not travel by bus before the bus lane was introduced, and the majority (73 per cent) of these ‘new’ bus users were women. Fifty per cent of users said that the speed of buses had increased and waiting time had reduced since the introduction of the bus lane. The experience was largely consistent for both men and women, the study reveals. As for safety standards and staff response, 35 per cent of users felt a positive change since the introduction of the bus lane while 40 per cent of users said there was no change. Crowding was the most downvoted parameter and nearly 16 per cent of users felt that crowding had worsened since the bus lane was started. Moreover, 61 per cent of passengers demanded ‘more buses’, and 44 per cent sought ‘better bus stops with proper seats and shelter’. Amruta S N, Greenpeace India campaigner, said, “The introduction of the bus priority lane attracted new users, particularly women, with three per cent of respondents starting to avail public buses since the introduction of the bus lane, despite its limited stretch. Among these ‘new’ users, an overwhelming majority are women (73 per cent), which highlights the gender-positive impact of the bus lane. These findings strongly support our recommendation to implement bus priority lanes on routes that have already been mapped out by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT).” Avinash Chanchal, Greenpeace India campaign manager, said, “Heavy traffic congestion contributes significantly to air pollution as vehicles emit harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. To combat this issue, we must improve the public transportation system in Bengaluru and invest in infrastructure such as bus lanes, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian walkways. This will significantly reduce the number of private vehicles on the roads and lower pollution levels.”
