Bengaluru: The Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch between Silk Board and KR Puram is set to witness heavier traffic gridlock from October 1, as more IT companies ask employees to return to offices five days a week. The 19km corridor, already notorious for long traffic snarls, lacks Metro connectivity, forcing lakhs of commuters to rely on private cars, taxis, and two-wheelers.
BMTC urges IT firms to resume dedicated bus services
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has appealed to IT companies to hire city buses for employee commutes, a practice common before the pandemic but largely abandoned since.
A senior BMTC official said, “Earlier, companies bought bulk passes and hired around 200 dedicated buses for their staff. These passes also allowed free access to other BMTC services. That system stopped working as there was no patronage. We are urging companies to restart it.”
BMTC currently operates 520 buses across 41 routes connecting various parts of the city to ORR, making 3,360 trips daily and carrying nearly 2 lakh passengers. However, congestion reduces their effectiveness, with bus speeds during peak hours averaging 15–20 kmph and trips taking hours to complete.
ORR congestion statistics
The ORR corridor houses over 500 companies, 26 tech parks, and nearly 10 lakh professionals. According to traffic police estimates, 4–5 lakh vehicles flood ORR and its connecting roads during the morning peak between 7:30 am and 10:30 am, with a similar surge in the evenings.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Karthik Reddy said, “Public transport is key to decongesting the ORR. Carpooling and staggered office timings have also been advised to IT firms.”
Challenges in adopting public transport
The ORR Companies Association (ORRCA) highlighted practical challenges discouraging employees from using buses. ORRCA president Manas Das said, “Commuters face poor last-mile connectivity, encroached or absent footpaths, inadequate shelters, and damaged roads. Unless this ecosystem is improved, a shift to public transport will be difficult.”
Das also pointed out space constraints inside tech campuses. “BMTC’s 12-metre buses are often too large to navigate within parks. This creates logistical issues,” he said, adding that ORRCA is in talks with BMTC to explore feasible solutions.
Civic measures and bottleneck points
Traffic police have mapped 18 problematic points along ORR requiring civic redesign to address entry, exit, and congestion issues. The Bengaluru civic body has been asked to take corrective measures to improve traffic flow.
BMTC has reiterated that it is prepared to scale up services if demand rises. “We can deploy more buses and improve frequency, but real decongestion will only happen if companies actively support bus services,” the official added.
Conclusion
With IT firms bringing back employees to offices full-time, Bengaluru’s ORR is poised to face longer travel times, higher fuel consumption, and increased commuter frustration. Effective collaboration between BMTC, IT companies, and civic authorities is essential to manage congestion and ensure smoother travel for lakhs of commuters.