Uber Green starts electric vehicles
You can book sustainable, eco-friendly rides through the cab-aggregator app, Uber Green, Uber’s global flagship electric vehicle service. The first green vehicles were flagged off by IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge from Bengaluru Palace, during the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023. The feature is accessible in various parts, including the central part of the city. Uber Green may upgrade services to many geolocations. You can see the option on your app. It will help to support riders to opt for the energy-friendly EVs.
The ‘all-electric’ service in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai, from June 2024 onwards, will be part of its commitment to become a zero-emissions mobility platform by 2040. The focus will be on collective responsibility for a green, clean city.
Meanwhile, the 26th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) had kicked off on November 29th at Bangalore Palace, under the theme, ‘Breaking Boundaries’. The three-day summit was organised by the IT-BT department, drawing in tech leaders, start-ups, investors and research labs from over 30 countries.
Source: Indian Express, Deccan Herald, The Times of India
Read more: BCAP: Bengaluru’s first step towards achieving net-zero by 2050
Activists slam regional green office for inaction
Environmental activists demand steps against the regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for ignoring violations of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The rules specify that officers of the rank of the conservator of forests and above can complain. However, the regional office had not filed a single complaint.
Activists call it a dereliction of duty and say that officials of the regional office should be held responsible and accountable. In a number of cases, officials have retired and action cannot be initiated against them. Hence, user agencies and officials of other line departments who are violators are “roaming free”, said the activists.
Source: Indian Express
Unboxing BLR Habba
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on November 30th launched ‘Unboxing BLR Habba,’ (UBH) a 11-day festival showcasing a convergence of history, films, art, food and culture. UBH will be held from December 1st to December 11th, creating a comprehensive celebration of the city’s multifaceted identity, said festival facilitator Ravichandar V. There will be 55 partners across 12 categories, including performing arts, visual arts, literature, design, technology, food, sport and more.
It will also have an array of 300 events – free and ticketed – distributed across the city. The 11-day gala will merge pre-existing festivals like the Bangalore Tech Summit (BTS), Bangalore Literature Festival (BLF) and Bangalore Design Week (BDW) under one umbrella. The private-led initiative will get the state government’s support.
From next year, UBH will be held in each ward and Assembly constituency, so that people can participate in their neighbourhood, said DKS.
Source: Deccan Herald, The Hindu, The New Indian Express
Read more: Classroom libraries in Bengaluru and Hyderabad open up the world of books for all kids
40% commission docs submitted
The Karnataka State Contractors Association gave documents related to the 40% commission charges against the BJP government to the probe body, the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission. Many documents were related to the commission demand during the BJP’s regime, while one or two were also related to Congress. Charges were related to commissions demanded in public works, major irrigation, minor irrigation, rural development, panchayat raj, and other departments.
The documents that ran to about 600 pages were among the first handed over by the association, which, in 2022, charged that 40% commission was being sought in the execution of public works.
Source: Indian Express, The Hindu
Steps for safer traffic
Nine high-density corridors, including the Outer Ring Road, will get a Rs 400-crore facelift from this month onwards. Some parts of the 109-km stretch will be reduced by 1-4 metres to ensure a uniform carriageway. This is under the TenderSURE model, under which select roads were upgraded.
To improve safety and prevent accidents, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has installed Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology in 10 buses as a pilot project. A ‘Mobile 8 Connect’ has been installed in public buses. It consists of a vision sensor camera, a DMS (Driver Monitoring System) camera, a GPS unit, and an ‘eye watch’, mounted on the vehicle’s front windshield. It will constantly monitor the movements of buses, even while giving real-time alerts to the drivers.”
Meanwhile, the Transport Department has announced that it will give a deadline of a year for installing vehicle tracking devices with emergency panic buttons in all the public service and goods vehicles that have national permits. They should get them from companies between December 1, 2023, and November 30, 2024 at Rs 7,599 (excluding GST).
Source: Deccan Herald, The Hindu
[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]