National Common Mobility Card in Metro from March

The BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited) is installing AFC (Automatic Fare Collection) systems on trial basis at Baiyappanahalli, Mysuru Road and Majestic stations, to facilitate the central government’s ambitious ‘One Nation One Card’ policy. The National Common Mobility Card will enable people to use multiple modes of transport like Metro and BMTC buses, pay parking fees and toll, and purchase at retail stores.

BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth said the facility will be available for commuters from Mysuru Road to Baiyappanahalli on Purple Line, by March end. The AFC systems are being provided by BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) and CDAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing).

Of over four lakh daily commuters in Namma Metro, 62 percent currently use smart cards. BMRCL says these cards can still be used.

Meanwhile, the BMTC is also gearing up to introduce common mobility cards on a large scale. In 2017, BMTC had launched a similar project, but failed to introduce it on a large scale. The corporation is now planning to float a tender in 15 days, to reintroduce these cards.

Source: The Hindu | Indian Express

HC asks state to intervene in city’s waste management 

High Court has given a fortnight to the state government to intervene and ensure that the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) streamlines garbage management and stops illegal disposal. The court observed it was almost time to dissolve the BBMP and appoint an administrator.

The bench said no clear data was available on the generation and disposal of municipal waste, and asked the BBMP to place data of daily collection from January 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020. BBMP claims that 4,200 metric tonnes of waste is generated in the city everyday, but has admitted that only 1,500 metric tonnes is being disposed as per the law and the remaining waste is illegally dumped in quarry pits. But petitioners claim the waste generated is higher.

Source: The Hindu

Crores in cess not reaching migrant workers

Karnataka Labour Department has collected Rs 3,915 crore as cess in Bengaluru alone so far, but the benefits have not reached migrant construction labourers. Between 2007 and 2019, the department disbursed only Rs 495 crore in benefits to construction workers. The highest disbursement was in Bengaluru – Rs 43 crore. This was revealed at a conclave on construction workers in IIMB.

Suresh Hari, Chairman of CREDAI Bengaluru, said labourers are unable to draw the cess money to which they are entitled, and that the 1996 BOCW (Building and Other Construction Workers) Act need to be made more effective.

Minister for Labour and Sakala, S Suresh Kumar, responded that a dedicated joint labour commissioner in the Construction Workers Welfare Board could help address the issue. He also outlined plans to launch a helpline number 155214, which will be operational from February 4, for workers to access information and report grievances.

Source: Deccan Herald

Thousands form human chain to mark Martyrs’ Day

More than a thousand people formed a human chain and sang the national anthem at 5.17 pm on MG Road on January 30, Mahatma Gandhi’s 72nd death anniversary. The motive was to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, and “reclaim Gandhiji’s India”. Many held placards urging the nation to “walk in the footsteps of Gandhi and not follow those of his killers”.

The human chain was formed from 10.30 am to 12 noon in KR Puram, Malleswaram and Yeshwantpur, and between 4 and 5 pm along the Gandhi statue at MG Road, from TV Tower to Mekhri Circle and briefly in front of Town Hall.

Later, nearly a thousand citizens on the steps of Town Hall protested CAA, NRC and NPR. Freedom fighter H S Doreswamy said Gandhi would have been happy to see the communal harmony during the recent protests.

Source: The Hindu | Deccan Herald

City most traffic-congested in the world

Bengaluru is the most traffic-congested city in the world, topping a list of 415 cities across 57 countries in 2019, according to a report by TomTom, a Netherlands-based global provider of navigation, traffic and map products. Manila in Philippines ranks second.

A commuter spends an additional 243 hours, or 10 days and three hours, every year in Bengaluru traffic. They spend an average of 71 percent extra travel time in traffic, reports the ninth edition of Tom Tom’s annual Traffic Index.

The least traffic in 2019 was recorded on April 6, and the highest was on August 20 with 103 percent congestion. The worst rush hours are on Fridays between 7 pm and 8 pm, as per the report.

Source: Livemint | The Logical Indian

[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]