Bus lanes cut travel time, help tackle pollution in Bengaluru

The survey found that, over 28% of existing bus users reported an improvement in travel time since the implementation of the bus lane Bengaluru The bus lane, which ran along the Outer Ringer Road (ORR) on a stretch of about 18.5 kilometres, was launched in 2019, and discontinued in mid-2022 due to metro work. The bus lane, which ran along the Outer Ringer Road (ORR) on a stretch of about 18.5 kilometres, was launched in 2019, and discontinued in mid-2022 due to metro work. The latest Greenpeace India survey on Bus Priority Lanes (BPL) sheds light on the bus lane’s positive effects on travel time and potential solutions to Bengaluru’s air pollution crisis. Greenpeace India is the Indian branch of the global environmental group Greenpeace, a non-profit NGO. The report, “Relying on bus: Studying the impacts of Bengaluru’s bus lane on bus use”, is based on an on-board survey of 979 bus users. It was conducted between May and July 2022. The bus lane, which ran along the Outer Ringer Road (ORR) on a stretch of about 18.5 kilometres, was launched in 2019, and discontinued in mid-2022 due to metro work. The survey found that, over 28% of existing bus users reported an improvement in travel time since the implementation of the bus lane. This improvement was particularly significant for those travelling longer distances, with 54% of respondents experiencing a reduction in travel time from 60-90 minutes to 30-60 minutes. Additionally, 82% of respondents found the bus lanes to have a generally positive experience.