Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has clarified that there will be no congestion tax in Bengaluru. He said the government is focusing on big infrastructure projects like ring roads, flyovers, and tunnels to solve traffic problems.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday dismissed reports that the state government plans to introduce a “congestion tax” in Bengaluru.
Speaking to India Today, he said such a proposal may have been discussed at the Centre but the state has no such plan.
Some urban experts had suggested testing a congestion tax on Bengaluru’s busy Outer Ring Road, especially for cars with only one passenger. But Shivakumar rejected the idea, calling the reports false and misleading.
He explained that Bengaluru’s traffic problem cannot be solved by taxing or limiting vehicles, as the number of registrations keeps increasing. Instead, the government is working on long-term solutions like a peripheral ring road, a 100 km business corridor, flyovers, tunnels, and even double-decker roads.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP attacked the Congress government. Opposition leader R Ashoka called it a “Tughlaq government,” saying the focus should be on repairing city roads first instead of considering new taxes. He also questioned whether ministers who travel alone would pay the levy if such a tax were ever introduced.
