Wipro chairman Azim Premji has turned down Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's proposal for vehicular access through the IT firm's Sarjapur campus, citing contractual constraints. However, the entrepreneur has vowed to offer financial and technical assistance to find a long-term solution to address Bengaluru's traffic woes.
Responding to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's letter, Premji said "urgent and effective measures" are indeed required to address the traffic situation in Bengaluru, "particularly along the Outer Ring Road, being an export-oriented economic hub."
Turning down Siddaramaiah's suggestion of allowing vehicular access through Wipro's Sarjapur campus, Premji, citing legal challenges, noted the campus was "exclusive private property owned by a listed company not intended for public thoroughfare".
"Sarjapur campus is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) providing services to global customers, our contractual conditions mandate stringent, non-negotiable access control norms for governance and compliance. Moreover, public vehicular movement through a private property would not be effective as a sustainable, long-term solution," the IT firm's head said.
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Noting there is no single point solution or a silver bullet to resolve Bengaluru's traffic challenges, Premji said, "We believe the most effective path forward is to commission a comprehensive, scientific study led by an entity with world-class expertise in urban transport management. Such an exercise would allow us to develop a holistic roadmap of effective solutions that are implementable in the short, medium, and long term. To demonstrate our commitment to being a part of the solution, Wipro will be pleased to engage in this process and underwrite a significant portion of the cost for this expert study."
In a recent letter to Premji, the Karnataka chief minister suggested that allowing vehicular access through Wipro's Sarjapur campus could ease traffic movement on the Outer Ring Road. In his letter, Siddaramaiah said allowing vehicles through Wipro's campus could reduce congestion on adjoining stretches of the ORR by nearly 30 per cent during peak hours.