Bengaluru Urban Mobility Mission formed to address traffic woes

Karnataka has constituted the Urban Mobility Mission Committee for Bengaluru (UMMCB) under the chairmanship of Home Minister Priyank Kharge to address the city’s growing traffic and mobility challenges.

An order issued by the Karnataka government on Saturday (August 8) said the committee has been formed to develop an integrated, efficient, sustainable and technology-driven urban mobility system for Bengaluru.

The committee will bring government agencies, private mobility operators, technology companies, experts and citizen groups onto a common platform. It will include additional chief secretaries and senior officers from departments and agencies involved in urban mobility and infrastructure.

“The city’s rapid growth has resulted in worsening traffic congestion, longer travel times, inadequate first- and last-mile connectivity, parking problems, uncoordinated public transport systems, and increasing pressure on road space,” the government order said, adding that it was also affecting the city’s productivity, economic efficiency, and quality of life of citizens.

The move comes amid concerns over Bengaluru’s longer commute times, inadequate first- and last-mile connectivity, parking shortages, freight movement issues and growing pressure on road infrastructure.

The committee will comprise senior officials from the Home Department, Greater Bengaluru Authority, Bengaluru City Police, Urban Development Department, Transport Department, BMTC, BMRCL (Metro), K-RIDE, BESCOM, KPTCL, PWD and other agencies involved in the city’s transport and infrastructure network.

For the first time, private mobility and logistics companies have been formally included in the institutional framework. Representatives from Namma Yatri, MoveInSync, Uber, Rapido, Ola and BluSmart, along with auto-rickshaw and taxi associations, employee transport services and parking technology firms, will be part of the committee.

Major logistics and delivery companies, including Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon Logistics and Flipkart, will also be represented, reflecting the growing impact of delivery and freight traffic on Bengaluru’s roads.

Representatives from key technology and employment hubs, including the Outer Ring Road Companies Association, Manyata Tech Park, Whitefield, Electronic City, ITPL/ITPB, Bagmane Tech Park and Embassy Tech Village, will also participate.

Academic institutions including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), International Institute of Information Technology Bengaluru (IIIT-B) and Indian Institute of Management Bengaluru (IIMB), along with civil society groups working on road safety and sustainable transport, will also be part of the committee.

The mission will focus on integrating public and private transport, improving first- and last-mile connectivity and strengthening pedestrian infrastructure. It will also use data-driven interventions to reduce congestion and improve coordination among mobility agencies.

According to Kharge, the mission will focus on data-driven interventions, improved coordination among agencies, integration of public and private transport systems, enhanced first- and last-mile connectivity, and stronger pedestrian infrastructure. The government also plans to introduce real-time data-sharing mechanisms and dashboard-based monitoring.

Seven working groups have been formed to focus on traffic management and road safety, public transport integration, first- and last-mile connectivity, mobility in technology clusters, digital mobility and data, urban freight and delivery movement, and infrastructure and roadworks coordination.

The committee will prepare a unified Bengaluru Mobility Action Plan, identify congestion hotspots and congestion-prone roads and junctions, coordinate mobility agencies, develop a Bengaluru Mobility Dashboard and establish a city-wide data-sharing system.

It will also work on pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and improve connectivity around Metro, bus and suburban railway stations.

The committee will meet every three months under the Home Minister’s chairmanship. Progress reports will be submitted quarterly, while an annual report will be presented to the Karnataka government.