Bengaluru, July 13: The Namma Indian Oil Petroleum Dealers Association (NIPDA) has submitted a representation to the Commissioner of Police, Traffic Wing, Bengaluru City Police, seeking diversion of Oil Marketing Company petroleum tankers through the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR), NICE Road and other peripheral corridors to reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption, road safety risks and vehicular pollution in Bengaluru.
In its representation dated July 13, NIPDA, which said it represents Indian Oil retail outlet dealers across Greater Bengaluru and neighbouring districts of Karnataka, sought the intervention of the Bengaluru City Traffic Police to rationalise the movement of petroleum tankers transporting Motor Spirit (MS), High Speed Diesel (HSD), Ethanol and other petroleum products from the IOCL Devanagonthi Terminal and other Oil Marketing Company (OMC) installations around Bengaluru.
According to the association, a large number of petroleum tankers destined for districts such as Tumakuru, Chikkaballapura, Kolar, Ramanagara, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Chamarajanagar, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Chitradurga, apart from several other neighbouring districts, currently pass through Bengaluru City after loading from the terminals. NIPDA said this unnecessary movement of heavy petroleum tankers through the city contributes to traffic congestion, delays emergency response, increases environmental pollution and poses avoidable public safety risks.
The association said hundreds of petroleum tankers enter Bengaluru City every day even though their destinations are outside the city. It said heavy petroleum tankers moving through KR Puram, Tin Factory, Hebbal, Yeshwanthpur, Mysore Road, Tumakuru Road, Hosur Road and other arterial roads substantially reduce traffic flow during peak hours.
NIPDA further said petroleum tankers carrying hazardous and highly inflammable products pose additional risks in densely populated urban areas. It added that congestion increases delivery time, raises logistics costs and leads to poor tanker utilisation, while long periods of idling and stop-and-go traffic result in excessive diesel consumption and higher emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
Based on what it described as industry movement patterns and available traffic observations, NIPDA estimated that approximately 400 to 600 petroleum tankers belonging to IOCL, BPCL and HPCL enter or pass through Bengaluru City every day. It said a heavy petroleum tanker occupies road space equivalent to around 2.5 to 3 passenger vehicles, resulting in a disproportionate impact on traffic flow.
The association estimated that diversion of these tankers through STRR and NICE Road could reduce heavy-vehicle movement on key city corridors by 8% to 12%, leading to an overall reduction of 2% to 4% in peak-hour congestion on major arterial roads. It also said average travel time for commuters on affected corridors could improve by 5% to 10% during peak traffic periods.
On fuel savings, NIPDA said that by routing petroleum tankers through STRR, NICE Road and Hosur Road, average idling time per tanker could be reduced by 30 to 60 minutes. It estimated diesel savings of 5 to 10 litres per tanker depending on destination and prevailing traffic conditions.
Assuming an average movement of 500 tankers a day, the association projected total fuel savings of 2,500 to 5,000 litres of diesel per day, or about 9 lakh to 18 lakh litres annually. It said this would result in substantial national fuel savings and significantly lower transportation costs for Government Oil Marketing Companies.
NIPDA also claimed environmental benefits from the proposed diversion, including a reduction of about 2,500 to 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, a significant reduction in nitrogen oxides, lower particulate matter emissions, improved urban air quality, reduced noise pollution and a lower carbon footprint of petroleum transportation.
In its representation, the association requested that STRR be notified as the preferred corridor for petroleum tankers travelling to neighbouring and distant districts. It also sought permission for petroleum tankers destined for South Karnataka to use Hosur Road and NICE Road instead of passing through central Bengaluru.
It further asked the authorities to restrict petroleum tanker movement through Bengaluru City except where deliveries are intended for retail outlets within city limits, and to coordinate with NHAI, Karnataka Police, Bengaluru Traffic Police and all Oil Marketing Companies for what it called scientific route rationalisation.
Other measures suggested by NIPDA included installation of directional signage to guide petroleum tankers towards STRR, NICE Road and designated bypass corridors, GPS-based route monitoring to ensure compliance with approved routes, a joint traffic impact assessment involving Bengaluru Traffic Police, NHAI, IOCL, BPCL, HPCL and petroleum dealer associations, and development of dedicated heavy-vehicle corridors for hazardous petroleum transportation.
The association also requested Bengaluru City Traffic Police to initiate a comprehensive joint study in coordination with all concerned agencies.
According to the representation, the proposed study could include heavy-vehicle movement data on major city corridors, hour-wise traffic density and congestion analysis, average vehicle speeds and delays caused by heavy commercial vehicles, and identification of congestion hotspots where petroleum tankers significantly affect traffic flow.
NIPDA said the National Highways Authority of India could examine the traffic carrying capacity and current utilisation of STRR, the feasibility of declaring STRR as the preferred corridor for petroleum tanker movement, and connectivity between STRR, NICE Road, Hosur Road and major National and State Highways.
It said IOCL, BPCL and HPCL could provide data on the daily average number of petroleum tankers dispatched from Bengaluru terminals, destination-wise tanker movement across Karnataka, the percentage of tankers presently passing through Bengaluru City despite having destinations outside the city, and the estimated reduction in travel time, fuel consumption and logistics costs through adoption of STRR and NICE Road.
The association also proposed comparative route mapping to show existing petroleum tanker movement through Bengaluru City, proposed diversion through STRR, NICE Road and Hosur Road, district-wise preferred tanker routes, traffic conflict points eliminated under the proposed routing, and estimated reduction in travel distance, travel time, congestion and emissions.
NIPDA further requested the constitution of a Joint Task Force comprising representatives from Bengaluru City Traffic Police, Karnataka State Police, NHAI, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, the Transport Department of the Government of Karnataka, the Public Works Department, NIPDA and representatives of petroleum tanker transporters.
It said the task force could be asked to submit its recommendations within a fixed timeframe for implementation of a scientifically planned tanker routing system focused on public safety, traffic decongestion, fuel conservation, environmental protection and efficient petroleum logistics.
Listing the expected benefits of the proposal, NIPDA said it would reduce traffic congestion within Bengaluru City, improve road safety by reducing hazardous tanker movement through densely populated areas, reduce travel time for the general public, lower diesel consumption, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve tanker turnaround time, ensure faster fuel availability to retail outlets across Karnataka, reduce logistics costs for Government Oil Marketing Companies, improve the overall efficiency of the petroleum supply chain and support the Government’s objectives of sustainable urban mobility and environmental conservation.
The association said it would extend full cooperation to the Bengaluru City Traffic Police, NHAI, Karnataka State Police, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited in implementing the proposal.
NIPDA has urged the Commissioner of Police, Traffic Wing, Bengaluru City Police, to constitute a joint committee with all stakeholders and initiate action to divert petroleum tanker movement through STRR, NICE Road and other suitable peripheral corridors.
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