Bengaluru: BMTC to revive bus priority lane on ORR from January 2026 to ease traffic woes

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has announced the much-anticipated return of the Bus Priority Lane (BPL) along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch from KR Puram to Silk Board. The service, which was suspended in 2022 due to the construction of the Namma Metro Blue Line, is scheduled to be relaunched in January 2026.

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BMTC Managing Director Ramachandran R, confirmed that plans are underway to bring back the BPL to one of the city’s busiest corridors, which connects several key IT hubs. The initiative, originally introduced in November 2019, aimed to reduce bus travel times and encourage the use of public transport, thereby decongesting one of Bengaluru’s most traffic-heavy stretches.

The original 17-kilometre BPL project, which cost Rs 14.3 crore, significantly reduced commuting time for BMTC passengers, cutting travel from 70 minutes to nearly 50 minutes during peak hours. However, the lane was dismantled when metro construction required a large portion of the roadway, including the removal of 25,000 lane-separating bollards.

BMTC is now working in coordination with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to redesign the BPL for the current road layout. The plan includes the strategic reinstallation of bollards in stretches where metro work has been completed, along with integrating service roads to allow smooth movement for both buses and private vehicles.

A key challenge remains: ensuring compliance. When the BPL was operational, frequent violations by private vehicles diluted its effectiveness. Despite penalties of Rs 500 for a first offense and Rs 1,000 for repeat offenses, the lack of strong enforcement by the traffic police allowed rampant misuse of the lanes.

To make the revived lane successful, BMTC is also expected to work closely with Bengaluru Traffic Police to enforce stricter monitoring and ensure that private vehicles stay off the designated lane.