Congestion Tax Urged to Relieve Bengaluru Traffic Woes

Bengaluru has been grappling with traffic congestion for years. In a recent report titled ‘Karnataka’s Decade — Roadmap to $1 Trillion Economy’,  recommendations were made to address this issue, with one notable suggestion being the imposition of a congestion tax on vehicles entering the city through specific roads during peak hours.

The proposed congestion tax aims to alleviate traffic issues in Bengaluru, a city that witnesses the entry of around 12 million vehicles daily. By implementing this tax, the city could potentially generate significant revenue. The report suggests that the same technology used for FastTag implementation since 2021 be employed for collecting this congestion tax. The primary objective of the congestion tax is to make commuters more aware of the costs they incur on fellow road users during peak traffic hours.

Congestion not only leads to massive economic losses, with nearly 1.2 crore citizens wasting 60 crore person-hours annually and around 2.8 lakh litre of fuel per hour, but also has a detrimental impact on the environment.

Beyond economic losses, congestion also contributes to higher pollution levels and makes city less appealing to pedestrians and cyclists. To address these issues, the revenue generated from the congestion tax could be allocated to promoting public transportation and investing in infrastructure improvements that encourage eco-friendly modes of transport.