Amid complaints of traffic snarls and blocked roads in light of the Metro construction, the number of vehicles in Bengaluru has now exceeded 75 lakh. Yes, over 75 lakh vehicles ply on the roads of Silicon City on a daily basis.
Bengaluru has witnessed a 130% increase in the number of vehicles registered in the city in the last decade. While about 14.5 cars are reportedly registered in Bengaluru, over 52 lakh of the total number of registered vehicles are two-wheelers, according to The Hindu.
An increased number of vehicles indicates a decrease in the number of people using public transport. With more vehicles plying on Bengaluru's roads, the efficiency of the government's BMTC bus service has taken a hit. As an obvious cause and effect, more people would opt for a private transport or cab services if the public transport proves to be inconvenient.
The traffic situation in the city currently is abysmal. The Metro constructions in different parts of Bengaluru, from Bannerghatta road to Koramangala. The Silk Board junction, as if it wasn't bad enough already, has become twice as much worse.
Commuters are obviously not too happy about the bottlenecks and blocked roads, but there is no denying that the Metro is sure to ease up the situation once complete. However, according to BMRCL officials, the construction work will go on until at least 2019.
The Metro rail project seems to be the only solution to the growing problem of traffic congestion in the city. the Namma Metro transit has been found to be quite efficient, with several routes taking about 20 minutes while the same distance if covered on road, would take an upward of 45 minutes depending on the traffic situation.
In a city with a population of about 1.2 crore, the increasing number of vehicles is a cause for concern. While traffic congestion is the obvious effect of the increasing number of vehicles being registered in the city, one that's not discussed in as much detail is the effect this increase tends to have on a few other sectors, including real estate and investments.
This also largely depends on the infrastructure of Bengaluru. Bad planning and potholed roads would only worsen the city's prospects of attracting bigger investments, which would also have an impact on the real estate of the region.
