Bengaluru Traffic Police Pushes for Regulated Car‑pooling to Beat Gridlock

In a bid to unclog Bengaluru’s ever‑growing traffic snarls, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has formally asked the state’s Transport Department to set clear rules for car‑pooling. The move comes after an internal audit – which sifted through data from private aggregators – revealed a worrying dip in car‑pool usage, from almost 60,000 commuters before 2021 to just about 25,000 today.

During a meeting held last week, BTP officials laid out a detailed proposal. It calls for the registration of the familiar yellow‑board (shared‑taxi) vehicles, but also pushes for the inclusion of white‑board cars – a newer, smaller‑capacity option that could cater better to office‑goers and students alike.

Transport officials, however, have been anything but enthusiastic. Citing safety worries, pushback from traditional cab and auto‑rickshaw operators, and the spectre of reduced department revenue, they have so far stalled any immediate action. Sources say a high‑level discussion at the ministerial level is expected before the Monsoon session of the legislature.

One practical suggestion from the police side is for the department to roll out its own car‑pooling app. A nominal fee levied through the platform could offset any perceived revenue loss while still giving commuters a reliable, affordable option.

Presently, there is no outright ban on car‑pooling, but the legal grey zone lets authorities impose fines for non‑compliance. Some private aggregators have tried to work around this by offering “coins‑based” payments rather than direct fares, a stop‑gap that many find confusing.

According to the BTP, a well‑crafted rulebook covering fixed fares, vehicle registration, permitted routes and operating hours could benefit up to 150,000 commuters – a figure that underscores how pivotal regulated car‑pooling could be for Bengaluru’s mobility future.

As the city grapples with widening roads, ever‑increasing vehicle counts, and the looming monsoon‑season traffic crunch, many hope that a pragmatic, technology‑enabled car‑pool framework will finally move from proposal to practice.