By inviting private capital and adopting an urbanisation plan that caters to the affluent, India’s upcoming metro systems will not be a public good aimed for the masses.
Transport planning in Bengaluru is characterised by institutional fragmentation, increasing private modes of transport, and questionable investment decisions in the transport sector. What are the possibilities of implementing a polycentric governance system in such a city? Answering this question requires exploring the characteristics of polycentric governance systems as part of the larger discourse in institutional economics and reflecting upon how far Bengaluru satisfies such characteristics and where changes may be required.
The introduction of a minibus service, locally termed grameena saarige will go a long way in providing reliable transportation to far-flung villages off the main trunk routes. Operated by the state road transport organisation, the service is to be extended gradually to cover more than 27000 villages in the state.
