7.14 Demand Control

7.14 DEMAND CONTROL

7.14.1 Reducing Private Vehicle Use
There are two ways to restraint the growth of private vehicles on road to either by pricing policy or by providing better level of service on public transport. Road pricing is difficult to achieve in a city like Bangalore particularly since its enforcement would be very difficult. It should be possible to put constraints in some areas by restricting private vehicles entering into the congested roads particularly during the peak hours. Providing good public transport with feeder IPT modes like Mini buses for facilitating the commuters to reach their destinations from Train/Bus stations would also induce many private vehicle users to shift from private vehicles. In fact with the coming up of the Core Ring Road, proposed improvements in the alignment of the ORR, Coming up of the various Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Modes like Metro, Mono-Rail / LRT & BRT we can substantially achieve the objectives through the following measures:
--Enough parking lots be provided outside the ORR & CRR easily accessible from the radials reaching the ORR & CRR
--Proper park & ride facilities for long term parking at the stations / termini of the MRT modes out side the ORR.
--Providing comfortable, environmentally friendly transport (Electrically operated / CNG mini busses) between MRT stations and the core areas.
--The parking facilities provided / planned in side the CRR should only be for Short term parking with high hourly charges.
--Congestion Charges be imposed on slab-scale from private vehicles entering first the ORR and then the CRR.
--Private vehicles be completely banned from entering the pedestrian zones
between the shopping hours i.e. 10 AM to 9 PM.
The above measures can help in reducing private vehicles in busy areas.

7.14.2 Land use for demand optimization
The land use and density component of the above strategy can be operationalized only through revisions in the Master Plan. High traffic generating activities and high density (high FSI) zones should be realigned around mass transport nodes and along major transportation corridors.
Such a reorganization of land use and density cannot be realized only through the modifications in the Master plan. In already developed areas, this needs to be translated into projects for planned redevelopment, ensuring that the high density and high intensity of activities are supported by appropriating land for improvements in the road network, street design and supporting infrastructure. The energy for redevelopment already exists in the real estate market in Bangalore, and will receive further impetus from the implementation of mass transport projects.
In new growth areas, a mechanism for micro-level planning (such as Town Planning Schemes in Gujarat) will need to be introduced to ensure that all new development is adequately served by primary, tertiary and secondary road network with provision for public transport facilities. These would also essentially have to be translated into land management projects.

7.14.3 Development of Integrated Facilities
As already pointed out, Bangalore has a good network of rail system, which can be converted by adding a few facilities like parallel lines, electrification, additional stations etc to serve as a commuter rail system also. Detailed studies have been completed already. CRS along with the Metro system under construction and the Bus transport can be integrated with good interchange and parking facilities at stations to form an Integrated Transport System.