Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday clarified that there are no plans to impose a peak-hour congestion tax in Bengaluru.
“It’s false. There’s no such proposal before me,” Shivakumar, who also handles Bengaluru Urban Development, told reporters.
Congestion Tax Idea Discussed Previously
The idea of a congestion tax has been floated before. Last week, during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to discuss city development, urban expert RK Mishra suggested charging single-occupant vehicles on the Outer Ring Road (ORR).
“Some industrialists have advised (levying congestion tax) in the interest of the city,” Shivakumar added.
Political Criticism and Past Study
Earlier, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka criticized the government for even considering a congestion tax, calling it a “Tughlaq government” move that would not hold up in court.
“First, repair the roads and everything will be fine. Without repairing the roads, they (government) want to tax people. Look at the situation we are in,” Ashoka said, also questioning whether the tax would apply to cars of the chief minister and Cabinet colleagues if they travel alone.
A study commissioned last year recommended charging Rs 100-500 on private vehicles entering Bengaluru’s central business district (CBD) during peak hours. Conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), the study suggested MG Road, Brigade Road, and Dr Ambedkar Veedhi as potential zones for the tax.
“The toll may be collected using satellite or GPS-based Fastag. This strategy is not to be construed as revenue generation or preventing public from entering the particular road, but to avoid unmanageable traffic during the peak hours and disincentivize the private vehicle use in these roads. This can be implemented on experimental basis on one road to test its effectiveness to use it elsewhere in the city,” the study recommended.