October 29, 2025

Bengaluru’s traffic battle just got spicier! BJP MP from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya, sat down with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday for a juicy hour-long chat. The hot topic? The much-debated tunnel road project slicing through the city. Surya, with determination, pitched the idea of scrapping this mega tunnel and shifting all that huge money towards expanding Bengaluru’s metro and suburban rail networks. Surya called the meeting “very productive,” focusing on making transport more sustainable. He told reporters, "We discussed in detail how expanding public transport is the only sustainable way to ensure effective commute and mobility in the city. I have requested that the amount of money proposed to be spent on the car-only tunnel project be diverted towards mass rapid transport systems like the metro. The goal of our policy should be to move more people rather than more cars." But Shivakumar is sticking to his guns. The Deputy CM champions the 16.75-km tunnel from Silk Board to Hebbal, promising a signal-free route that will let commuters dodge over 25 snarled traffic points and save more than 45 minutes each day. Plus, it connects directly to Bengaluru’s buzzling IT corridor. Here’s where Surya throws the real punch: He cites the government’s own Detailed Project Report (DPR) that the tunnel can carry about 1,800 vehicles per hour each way. Sounds good? But his counterattack is fired up: "If the same effort is made to build a metro or MRTS line, close to 69,000 people can be transported per hour in the same direction." To him, the clear winner is public transport, with Shivakumar agreeing that metros and suburban rails are the future. Surya also brought fresh spice to the debate. He proposed dedicated loop buses running on exclusive lanes along Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR) — the city’s biggest traffic headache. He said, "On the ORR, which is the most congested stretch today, we have two metro stations at either end - KR Puram and Silk Board. Between these, if dedicated loop buses run every five or ten minutes on exclusive lanes, it will help thousands reach their offices faster and ease the traffic burden." And there’s more! Surya urged the Deputy CM to appoint a boss for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA), calling it a vital body to unite all transport agencies. He added, "I have requested him that BMLTA should get a chairperson and be empowered. I have also requested that our footpaths and roads need top priority. We should take this up in mission mode to make Bengaluru's footpaths the best in the country." His grand vision? Bengaluru should boast 300 km of metro lines with trains every three minutes and 300 km of suburban rail, making travel cheap, fast, and easy for everyone. His mantra: "Money should be spent on sustainable projects that provide long-term solutions, not short-term band-aid fixes." On environmental concerns about the tunnel affecting Lalbagh — the city’s green heart — Surya shared Shivakumar’s reassuring promises. "He also assured me that no commercial establishment would come up at the Lalbagh site, as mentioned in some reports," said Surya. The MP made it clear that his fight against the tunnel isn’t just about trees; it’s about the sky-high cost and slim benefits. Shivakumar plans another round of talks next week with officials and industry leaders and invited Surya to share his ideas. Surya gratefully said, "I hope this bipartisan approach to sustainably fixing Bengaluru's traffic problems will yield results." When hit with government jabs that he hasn’t done enough on traffic, Surya fired back, "Political attacks, asking questions of the government-these will continue because that's our job. But as responsible citizens, we must support good ideas." He supports the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, calling it vital. Yet, about the Rs 47,000 crore tunnel road? "Our opposition to the tunnel road will continue because if you are investing Rs 47,000 crore for 35 km of road, how will another 35 km solve Bengaluru's traffic problem?" he challenged. Surya’s fiery message to all: Focus must stay on long-term, sustainable transport like the metro and suburban rail, not on expensive, flashy road projects. Bengaluru’s future rides on moving people, not just cars!

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Tags: Bengaluru traffic, Tejasvi surya, Dk shivakumar, Tunnel road project, Metro expansion, Public transport,