BANGALORE: In a bid to reduce traffic congestion in the city through better traffic management, the Cabinet on Thursday provided administrative clearance to the Bangalore Traffic Improvement Project titled "B-Track 2010."

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti said Rs. 350 crore had been sanctioned for the project which would be executed by the Bangalore City Police and Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited in co-ordination with Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

The project, which was the first of its kind in the country, would address the issues of traffic congestion and safety among other things with the help of the latest traffic management technology.

This was expected to provide scope for the proper planning and implementation of larger infrastructure projects which were in the pipeline, sources told The Hindu.

The project aimed at reducing traffic by about 30 per cent in the central area of the city comprising the Vidhana Soudha and the MS Building, besides setting a target of reducing accidents by 30 per cent.

It would also strive to reduce pollution and achieve substantial compliance with traffic rules by vehicle users. An effective trauma care system would also be set up under the project, they said.

The project would also include setting up no-auto zones in the central areas of the city, setting up dedicated bus lanes and developing the core ring road as well as radial corridors.

It would also develop mechanisms for institutionalising traffic task force, road safety committee and traffic action committee.

It would set up a Control and Traffic Command Centre for monitoring the traffic situation. It would implement a synchronised traffic signal system in the city and variable messaging systems between traffic junctions with the help of which traffic police at particular signals would get information on the traffic situation in other signals.

Objections rejected

The Cabinet has set the stage for the formation of Greater Bangalore by rejecting all the 133 objections filed by the public.

However, it authorised the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to decide on the pleas for excluding some areas of City and Town Municipal Councils from the jurisdiction of the proposed Greater Bangalore, Mr. Horatti said.

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