Stop registration of new vehicles for two years in Bengaluru: G Parameshwara

Stopping registration of new vehicles for two years, phasing out 20-year-old vehicles and fixing arterial roads are among the ideas Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara is working on for Bengaluru. The City Development and Home Minister tells ET’s KR Balasubramanyam that vehicular pollution is causing serious health issues in the City. Edited excertps:

The traffic in Benglauru is getting worse...
Traffic problems, in my assessment, should get resolved in two years for the following reasons. We are upgrading arterial roads into cemented ones. White-topping work worth Rs 1,000 crore is going on, and i have asked for their completion by summer. We have provided about Rs 660 crore to white-top another 40-50 roads. Their tender process will be over in a month, and they should be ready by monsoon.


Once these roads are ready, we will not have any potholes.

People complain that public transport is poor...
There are about 15-lakh people using the 6,000 BMTC buses. We are also in the process of introducing some electric buses. We can buy more buses, but where are roads? We will end up choking our roads further. There about about seven million vehicles on roads now. We will need to reduce private vehicles to make space for BMTC buses.

What is the way out, then?
I am thinking of requesting the transport department to temporarily suspend registration of new two and four wheelers in Bengaluru for two years, and deny fitness certificates to vehicles that are 20 years old. How else do we deal if 2,500 vehicles add to our roads everyday? This is our loud thinking, and after bypolls are over, I plan to hold a meeting with Transport Minister, and Transport, BBMP and BDA Commissioners to hear their views.

Won’t that disappoint first-time vehicle buyers?
Let’s remember our pollution levels are high. Lot of people are suffering from chest congestion and respiratory problems. We are adding vehicles at the cost of public health. Having said that, let me also add we cannot stop new vehicles without giving people an alternative. We will need to increase public transport, and request corporates to support carpooling in a big way.

You reviewed Metro project on Friday. What is the update?
I have taken a very serious review of metro projects. In the next two years, we will commission Mysuru and Tumkuru road extensions, and the Whitefild, RV Road, and Bommasandra lines will be ready by 2021. The airport connectivity should be through by 2023. I have firmly told metro authorities to stick to timelines, and not seek extensions. They took eight years to complete the first phase. I will be reviewing the progress every month.

There are concerns funds are an issue for Bengaluru city development...
That is not true. I approved a budget of about ?10,000 crore for BBMP only after recognising the revenue potential from property taxes, rentals and ads. The BBMP itself generates about ?3,500 crore in taxes. In the past one and a half months alone, the BBMP has collected ?400 crore in taxes. I want BBMP to give its citizens every years at least five permanent structures like, for example, skywalks, not replacing footpath tiles. In am looking at BBMP finances on a quarterly basis, and holding them to account.

When will we see an end to our garbage mess?
We are overhauling the entire garbage collection, transport and disposal system. As part of this, we are inviting fresh tenders. Successful bidders will bring their own equipment, and handle transport. In addition, we are attempting conversion of waste to energy. If we are able to do this, we would not need landfills. If, for instance, we are able to process 500 metric tonnes of waste at four places each, that will solve bulk of our problems. I want to begin with at least one waste-toenergy plant on a pilot basis in the next six months. A few players, including a French company, have come forward. In the days to come, we hope to create demand for garbage.

There is this impression that BBMP acts only when High Court steps in…
I appreciate the court’s concern, but at the same time we will not feel comfortable if courts assume executive functions.

How are you dealing with city’s growth from a policing point?
As a growing metro, Bengaluru is facing many challenges, including influx of large number of illegal immigrants. I hear a lot of them are from Bangladesh. I have sensitised the City police and they have stepped up the vigil, and are trying to identify and deport all those foreign nationals who are staying here illegally.