Over 800 ‘NimBus’es to ply on priority lane

‘NimBus’ or Nimma Bus is the new brand name the BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) has conferred on buses that would operate in the priority lane on Outer Ring Road. These buses will ply between Silk Board and Baiyappanahalli. ‘Commute better’ would be the tagline of the buses. Complete operations of the NimBus fleet would start on November 1.

The NimBus logo. Pic credit: Facebook/BMTC

A BMTC official said that ORR buses will have NimBus stickers for the benefit of passengers. The stickers will be sported by 830 buses, majority of them the 500 series buses. The Corporation will operate blue colour AC buses and green colour ordinary buses in this route, replacing existing multi-colour buses.

The 20-km priority lane will cut down commute time along the stretch by half an hour. It will also help those who travel to different places via ORR. To avoid breakdowns, BMTC will run ordinary buses that are less than two years old and have clocked fewer than two lakh kilometres. AC buses on the route will get replaced with electric buses.

The traffic junctions on the route include Silk Board, Agara, Doddanekundi and Tin Factory. How agencies address these traffic gridlocks will determine the success of the bus lane experiment. Every day, buses on this route carry 3.5 lakh commuters, and BMTC hopes to add 1.5 lakh commuters once the lane becomes operational.

BMTC will also come up with an updated version of its MyBMTC app. C Shikha, BMTC MD, said at a recent public consultation that the app will help commuters, especially those whose offices are located in the ORR, by giving real-time information to track buses. The updated app will be give more accurate information on bus timings and movement. BMTC has also launched a digital outreach programme on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Source: The Hindu | Bangalore Times | Indian Express

BBMP tells HC it can’t cover SWDs

BBMP told the High Court last Thursday that it cannot cover stormwater drains (SWDs), but that construction of chain-link fencing and removal of silt from drains was under way.

K N Puttegowda, advocate for the BBMP, submitted an affidavit before the court which said that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had issued an order not to cover SWDs but to desilt and clean them. Moreover, the NGT had directed the Central Pollution Control Board to issue this direction throughout the country, he said.

BBMP further submitted that it had taken steps to prevent SWD accidents during rains, and had compensated the kin of victims who had drowned in SWDs.

The court ordered BBMP to submit the copy of NGT’s directions and also a compliance report on fencing construction.

Source: Deccan Herald

BBMP ward, zonal engineers in charge of filling potholes 

BBMP has put ward engineers and zonal level officials of road infrastructure (RI) and project central (PC) departments in charge of filling potholes before the November 10 deadline. The decision was taken to fix accountability and prevent officials from dodging the task.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy has written to the Chief Secretary to complain about the poor state of three major roads. The MLA, who represents BTM Layout constituency, wrote that potholes in the stretches from Silk Board Junction to Jayadeva Hospital Junction, JD Mara to Dairy Circle, and Jayadeva Hospital to RV Road had not been filled. He said that the potholes had led to a number of accidents.

Source: Deccan Herald 

BBMP mandates 60% Kannada in display boards

BBMP has issued an order asking commercial establishments to give 60 percent space to Kannada language on their display boards. Else, trade licenses of establishments may be forfeited, the order says.

The Urban Development Department had directed BBMP to ensure all display boards in its jurisdiction show Kannada letters prominently, following recommendations from the Kannada Development Authority.

Source: Deccan Herald

Heavy rains lash south and west Bengaluru

On Tuesday night, unseasonal rains ravaged Bengaluru’s southern and western regions, uprooting nine trees and flooding roads, which hassled commuters. With Kengeri recording 70 mm of rainfall and Sarakki 62 mm, flyovers and underpasses were flooded.

Underpasses near KR Circle, Vijayanagar, and flooded ramps and gutters along Richmond Road and Mysuru Road flyovers, held up the traffic. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted that heavy rainfall would lash the city and other parts of Karnataka all week.

Source: Indian Express | Deccan Herald

[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]