Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's airport flyover plan encounters scepticism
Sandeep Anirudhan
City-based mobility experts have raised concerns over Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar's recent proposal to the Union Ministry for a dedicated elevated flyover connecting Hebbal Junction to Kempegowda International Airport.While the Deputy CM's letter tounderlines that a signal-free, dedicated flyover would drastically cut travel time for airport passengers, industrial freight vehicles, and daily commuters, experts say such decisions should be based on a scientific analysis of the situation. It is said that any more road networks in the city should be created only after a feasibility analysis.Any such large-scale boost to road infrastructure projects is likely to result in a surge in private vehicle usage.'All mass transit projects, metro or suburban rail, are facing challenges with deadlines. While these projects are terribly behind schedule, a series of road infrastructure projects are being announced by our Deputy CM. Such initiatives will only worsen traffic congestion in the city,' said a mobility expert.The Deputy CM's letter to the Union Ministry claimed that since the existing 35-km corridor from Hebbal to the airport is choked with traffic due to rising industrial activity and the emergence of commercial hubs, the new flyover could serve as a critical lifeline for the city's mobility.According to, Convenor of Citizens' Agenda for Bengaluru and a mobility expert, the root cause of the traffic issue is lawlessness being practised by the decision-makers. He points to the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, which states that every metropolitan area shall have a metropolitan planning committee to prepare a draft development plan. Bengaluru has been devoid of such a committee so far.Experts say that the government keeps adopting the band-aid approach instead of pursuing holistic development. A flyover or tunnel is seen as a temporary solution that fails to address the root causes, allowing the underlying issues to persist and escalate over time.'We are fed up with the executives ignoring the constitution, the provisions for urban planning, master plan, capacitance of the metropolitan planning committee (MPC), etc, as a result of which the city is paying the price in terms of unplanned development. We don't need a panacea, we need a cure,' he said. He emphasised that planning must take precedence, with a master plan issued through due process, ensuring that only recommended projects are systematically undertaken. He added that the Union Minister should insist on Karnataka having an operative master plan, with an embedded transport plan, before any funds are disbursed to the state.
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