Karnataka forms unified urban mobility mission to ease Bengaluru traffic
Bengaluru, one of India's fastest-growing metropolitan cities, has long struggled with severe traffic congestion, affecting daily commuters and businesses. To tackle this challenge, the Karnataka government has constituted the Urban Mobility Mission Committee for Bengaluru (UMMCB), bringing multiple government agencies, private mobility operators, technology companies, experts, and citizen groups onto a common platform.
The committee, chaired by Home Minister Priyank Kharge, was formed under an official order issued on August 8. Its objective is to develop an integrated, efficient, sustainable, and technology-driven urban mobility system for the city. The committee will include additional chief secretaries and senior officers from departments related to urban mobility.
The mission will focus on integrating public and private transport, improving first- and last-mile connectivity, and enhancing pedestrian infrastructure. Data-driven interventions will be used to reduce congestion across the city.
The committee also envisages preparing a unified Bengaluru Mobility Action Plan, identifying congestion-prone roads and junctions, developing a Bengaluru Mobility Dashboard, and establishing a data-sharing system among stakeholders. It will work on pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and improve connectivity around metro, bus, and suburban railway stations.
The government order noted that the city's rapid growth has led to worsening traffic congestion, longer travel times, inadequate first- and last-mile connectivity, parking problems, uncoordinated public transport systems, and increasing pressure on road space. These issues, it said, are affecting Bengaluru's productivity, economic efficiency, and the quality of life of its citizens.
Seven working groups have been constituted under the committee. They will focus on traffic management and road safety; public transport integration; first- and last-mile connectivity; corporate and technology cluster mobility; digital mobility and data; urban freight and delivery mobility; and infrastructure and roadworks coordination.
The UMMCB will meet every three months, while the working groups will meet quarterly. Progress reports are to be submitted every three months, and an annual report will be presented to the state government.
Private players are an integral part of the framework. Representatives from Namma Yatri, MoveInSync, Uber, Rapido, and Ola will be on the committee. It also includes hotel, school, and college associations, autorickshaw and taxi unions, employee transport services, and parking technology companies.
Delivery and logistics companies will also be represented. Technology and employment hubs such as the Outer Ring Road Companies Association, Manyata Tech Park, Whitefield, Electronic City, ITPL/ITPB, Bagmane Tech Park, and Embassy Tech Village will have representatives on the committee.
Academic institutions, including IISc, IIIT-B, and IIMB, along with civil society organisations working on road safety and sustainable transport, have also been included.
Mr. Kharge said the mission's key objective is to bring all relevant institutions, the private sector, technology companies, experts, and citizens onto one platform. “We aim to develop comprehensive solutions instead of taking isolated measures to address Bengaluru’s mobility challenges,” he said.
He added that the committee will also work on improving commuter safety, reliability, and connectivity, and develop solutions for major employment hubs such as the Outer Ring Road, Manyata Tech Park, Whitefield, and Electronic City. The initiative is expected to bring a coordinated approach to solving the city's persistent traffic problems.
