Bangalore ranked third in the country for slowest moving traffic.

BENGALURU: Bangalore has been ranked third in the country with the slowest moving traffic, behind Patna and Kolkata. A recent study says that the average speed of vehicles in Bengaluru’s traffic is just 15.5km per hour.

In spite, of having a wide public transport network of buses, Metro rail, cabs and auto-rickshaws, the usage of private vehicle is high, which causes travelling during the peak hours 162% slower than in non-peak hours, says Ola’s Ease of Moving report.

Heavy usage of private transport is one of the major factors for traffic congestion, and vehicle emission which accounts for 37% of pollution in the city.

Bengaluru now ranks as the third most populous city in India and 18th in the world. With a nearly 52% jump in population in a decade, Bengaluru has experienced the second highest decadal population growth rate in India, behind Hyderabad, says the report.

The report says that the Bengalureans are aware of the situation and are using public transport and pool more. Four out of five respondents said that they prefer sustainable modes such as public transport, intermediate public transport (taxi/cabs, auto rickshaws) and non-motorised modes of commute over personal vehicles.

Around 51% of the respondents said they don’t use public transport as they feel it’s unsafe and inconvenient while about 24% said they don’t find it readily accessible. Some cite lack of end-to-end connectivity; some say Metro fares are high.

As many as 60% of respondents said that they have to walk for more than 10 minutes and wait for a considerable time for buses while 65% cite the lack of parking facilities near public transit stops and stations.