Bangalore has hit a speed limit. It now comes only second best to Hyderabad on yet another parameter: the average speed of vehicular movement in the city. Six years ago, Bangalore was much ahead of Hyderabad on the average speed of vehicular movement in the central business district (CBD). Today, the speed has come down to 16-18 kmph.
In Hyderabad, it has gone up to 22-24 kmph (2005-end data). Thanks to its new wide roads and flyovers, Hyderabad has gone up from its earlier 12 kmph. “Traffic is better in the old city area too,’’ sources said. This data has been collected by the city-based Institute of Transportation, Training and Consultancy and given to the traffic police here for planning traffic projects.
The average speed of vehicles in Bangalore in 2003 used to be only 12 kmph. It went up to 16-18 kmph, thanks to the introduction of 93 one-ways, a senior police officer said. In New Delhi, massive traffic infrastructure and Metro Rail have given a hard push to traffic movement. Vehicles move at a respectable 20 kmphplus there.
In Mumbai, it is between 20 and 22 kmph, sources said. If it’s any consolation, the average speed of a vehicle in Chennai and Kolkata is lower — it’s around 10 kmph in Kolkata and 16-18 kmph in Chennai.
The situation in Bangalore will take a turn for the worse if the government does not create infrastructure, including the Metro Rail, a traffic police officer said. “At present, over 320 roads are one-ways. They will become ‘no-way’ roads if the authorities sleep over infrastructure projects,’’ he said. “We need to add at least 25 mini flyovers and grade separators in the central parts of the city along with road widening work on a priority basis,” he added.
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