Bengaluru Tunnel Road To Charge Rs 660 Toll? Project Faces Backlash After DPR Allegedly Omits Bus Lanes

The final Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Bengaluru’s proposed Tunnel Road project has sparked strong criticism after it was revealed that the provision for dedicated bus lanes, included in the draft version, has been removed, The New Indian Express reported.

Bengaluru Central member of Parliament (MP) P C Mohan voiced sharp disapproval on Monday (28 July), arguing that the decision reflects a bias towards wealthier commuters.

“Tunnel Road final DPR quietly drops bus lanes, once again making it clear that the tunnel is only for those rich people who can afford Rs 660 toll, not for the common man. On one hand, they talk of free bus rides; on the other, they erase bus infrastructure itself,” Mohan was quoted as saying.

Highlighting concerns about affordability, Mohan added, “How many Bengalureans can actually afford Rs 660 a day? That’s nearly Rs 20,000 a month just to use this tunnel. This is not public infrastructure but a private expressway for the privileged, funded by taxpayers. It is a discriminatory, exclusionary, and anti–public transport move.”

Urban mobility specialist Satya Arikutharam echoed these concerns, noting that while the draft DPR accounted for both an emergency and a bus lane, the final version lists only an emergency lane.

“It is a sign of zero accountability and lack of institutional oversight that allows the BBMP to persist with its unscientific car-only Tunnel Road idea. Reading the final DPR, it is a clear case of a bad option made even worse,” he told TNIE.

Arikutharam also questioned the reliability of traffic projections in the report.

“For instance, the DPR claims that more car users will opt for the tunnel after tolls are imposed. These incredulous results make the DPR unreliable. I urge the government to drop the Tunnel Road plans and instead commit fully to completing the metro and suburban rail network,” he said.

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