One of the oldest bazaars, Gandhi Bazaar which is frequented by thousands and which is also a popular meeting point for the residents of Basvangudi, is today a bustling, noisy, chaotic ‘thoroughfare’, unsafe for shoppers. Thanks to heavy traffic.
BMTC buses, trucks, and ‘all wheelers’ make it a point to speed their way. Mowing down shoppers, making it a hazard for pedestrians. During festival time it is most dangerous and annoying.
Shopping is also leisure time activity and the area is a social meeting point, especially for senior citizens and women with children. Shopping is meant to be pleasure and fun, not a nightmare. It is time for shoppers to walk in peace and enjoy their shopping.
Here are my suggestions for a safe and quiet Gandhi Bazaar area:
- Make Gandhi Bazaar free of all vehicular traffic. All vehicles to circulate around the periphery only. The core area can become pathways. Reserve Gandhi Bazaar main Road and DVG Road for pedestrians only.
- A proper toilet area, benches for relaxing, security and ambulance wth paramedics and even a medical room for emergencies. Street plays and social awarenes campaigns and kid’s park can be added attractions.
Ground arrangements
A) Traffic regulations : All vehicular traffic diverted around periphery of Gandhi Bazaar, that is, Tagore circle – KR Road – Vani Vilas Road – North Road through Gandhi Bazaar via Girls School Road – National Co-operative Bank to Vivekananda circle: Only uni-directional flow.
Special entry permit for supply vehicles for traders as prescribed restricted timings.
1) Parking facility should be provided at
- east – upto Foodworld & Corporation Market (rear side) – earmarked for a car park building
- north – flyover – DVG Road including upto Govindappa Road
- south – DVG Road – Sthree Sanga Cross upto APS Road intersection
- west – National Cooperative Bank upto HSBC bank (Vivekananda circle)
2) bmtc bus routes can be
a) Tagore Circle – Canara Bank, North Road (Karnataka Sangha), National Coop Bank – divider upto Vivekanda Circle
The plan should to be initiated and executed through a partnership of citizens participation, Gandhi Bazaar Traders Associations, and the BBMP, sustained on a day-to-day basis, by a standing committee. This will be for the welfare of the citizens at large.
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great idea to make it pedestrian only!
if someone take the lead and initiate some work on this, it will find lot of support.
froma discussion on hasiru usiru mailing list, posted by karthik rao cavale-
The plan proposed here is conceptually good, but there are flaws. There is a danger that making Gandhi Bazaar Road vehicle free will clog DVG Road or the smaller galis in Basavangudi. Indeed, the plan proposes that parking be made available on DVG road – a sure recipe for disaster. Better would be to make a larger area (preferably the entire square contained within Vanivilas Road – KR Road – Bugle Rock Road and Bull Temple road vehicle free. This will boost property values in the entire area, rather in just one small part of it. Also, the possibility of finding space for multi-storey parking is greater on KR Road and Bull Temple Road than on DVG Road.
Secondly, I strongly oppose making wide roads like KR Road or Bull Temple road one-ways. One-ways are terrible for pedestrians. For the sake of pedestrians in Gandhi Bazaar, we shouldn’t be jeopardizing the lives of pedestrians on other roads.
Third, we will have to reconcile ourselves to the possibility that if the plan is taken up seriously, then parts of Shamanna park, National College grounds, BMS college or Krishnarao park might have to be encroached upon for creating parking lots. This is a compromise we will have to make. The alternative is to acquire private land, which is always a tricky business.
karthik
Also, Commercial Street and when the Metro construction finishes, Brigade Road(from Cauvery Junc to Residency Road junction).
ref. k’rtk’s concns, reg. GB- PLAN. U hve MISSED OUT THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE & PLAN., A ‘”GREEN GBzr. TRAFFIC FREE. POLLUTION FREE ,AND ECO -FRIENDLY'” is the theme. AIM – TO KEEP MOTORISTS OFF CORE AREA OF GB. TO PROVIDE CITIZENS A PLACE TO WALK and MINGLE FREELY AND ENJOY THEIR SHOPPING, IN SAFETY. AND IN THE PROCESS ENHANS THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, – P’RHPS LIVE LONGER , HEALTHEIR LIVES! IT IS NOT TO WOO M’TORSTS, OR TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS FOR THEIR SPEEING!THE PLAN IS “pedestrian,citizen CENTRIC”‘ ALSO IT ENCMPSSES THE WHLE OF GB- CONTAINED WHITHIN V’VLSRd.KR Rd.-B’GL ROK Rd. & B’TMPL Rd.- all vehicl free.NATURALLY, Trf’c flow pattern ,falls into place , acc’rdngly, for all cross/ par’ll Rds , & bylanes in the core AREA, AS A COR’LRY !ie as ONEWAYS & DEAD ends. to protect the residents of these Rd areas from TH’OROFARE VEH’CLR TRAF’C, ALSO one ways & dividers ,already exist onKR rd, B’TMPL. Rd- c’not B avoid;d. THE idea of PR’PRTY V’LUS , M’LT ST’d PRKNG ,aq’irng land etc is a. PRepostrous & Dangerious THOT, most destruc’tve & as U put it ” a recipe for DISASTER” FOR allrightthnkng citzns of ‘B’SVNGUDI AND blore! let us try to put a brake to destroy & decay blre. , or what is left of it!. I imajine the aim of HASI USIRU IS to preserve [CONSRVE]THE ENVIRONS’ so as TO ENHANS E THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF CITIZENS. I AM SURE YOU AGREE!RAO.
PS. PLAN IS TO CONTAIN PRKNG AREA & NOT TO INCREASE IT. 4 PRKNG SITES r PROVIDED AT ALL ENTRY PTS. [rDS.TO GB- @ NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, & WEST,.WHERE SHOPPERS WILL LEAVE th’r V’HCLS &WALK INTO THE B’ZR.
The idea is very good. It could be a model for other market areas in the city. This has been suggested at times but it is good to see a how to do type of article. Pedestrians are at a risk ( everywhere but especially here) here. The traffic light which came into existence on Gandhi Bazar road after many requests is never/rarely put on. It may be a good idea to get Sri Venkat rao, Srinivasa and other interested people to sit and work out a detailed plan. It would be good to involve the powers that be also at an initial stage itself.
IT’S heartening to know that Sri. srinivas, & karthik, & sri v’wanath agreon the GB – ECO-TR’FC PLAN.At THE SAME TIME IT IS MOST D’S HARTN’NG TO READ THE EL’CTD CORPTR’S SUPPORT & MINDLESS HASTE TO PUSH THRU PL.NS FOR PARKNG CMPLXS ACROSSTHE CITY, INCL;DNG G’BZZAR.it IS MADN’ES TO PROV’DE FOR AND ENCURGE,MORE V’HICULR TRAF’C ALL OVER THE CITY!THE ONLY SALVATION FOR B’LRE IS TO DECNGEST ROADS BY MORE DISINCENT’VES, EG TRAF’C BANS IN MORE AND MORE SELECT’VE AREAS, TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO CTZNS &RESIDENTS OF SUCH SEL’CTVE AREAS BY D’CLARNG AS NO TRAFFIC ,WALKING ZONES, AS IN G’BZR PLAN! ESP. CONCERN FOR B’SVNGDI IS THE M’LTY-PRKNG CMPLX IN G’BZR .THE PRESENT PARKNG SPACE & OR SUGST’D IN MY PLAN IS SUFI’CNT TO PRESERVE THE CHARACT’R & CARRYING CAPACJTY OF G’BZR. THE M’LTY’PRKNG CMPLX B’HND CORP’N MKT BLDG CAN B,OF MODER’TE SIZETO ACCMO’DTE ONLY G’BZR TRADERS ASS’N M”MBERS, & R’SRVD FOR THEM.LTD PRKG FOR SHOP’RS @ GP’SVE RATE B’YND 1ST. HR, WUD B BEST, SUIT’D & FAIR FOR ALL. F’RTHER , LINKED TO THE ECO OBJECT’VE IS TO IMPOSE CEILNG ON FSR /H’RISE BLDNGSIN ‘NOTIFIED W.ZONE AREA.OF COURSE FAIR CMPNS’ATN CAN B INTR’NSC’LY PROV’DED THRU ,MIN’ML PRPTY T’XS , ELECTR./wtr chrg’sand such other concessions, to mot’vte G’BZR R’SDNTS TO HELP CNSRVE & ENJOUY THE BENIFTS’ OF STAYING PUT IN THE AREA.ALL IN ALL A ”win -win ‘situation for ALL. CRV. RAO
LASTLY -LTD PRKNG SPACE [CEILNG] & H’GH PAY PRKNG ALONG WTH FSR ?H’RISE BLDNGS, WUD PREVENT BIG SHOPPNG MALLS & the like in G’bzr- THE MOST D’NGEROUS AND ‘CHARACTR DESTROYNG”VILLAN of OUR C’TIES TODAY! ”
Great idea – more roads should be added including Avenue road, Chikpet etc. Some roads should be open only to public transport and not to private vehicles. There can be a window at night for shops and commercial establishments to get material. Further, why should BBMP be so worried about providing parking – where there is a demand for parking, private parking buildings can up to provide paid parking. BBMP should just stick to areas that it is already (mis-) managing instead of adding parking to the mix
Great ideas Mr Venkat Rao, but why the shouting (with all caps) and the texting language? Makes it very hard to understand your ideas!!
MR. Naik ,THNKS FOR UR interst & UR ‘critic’ comments !THE pt. is well taken & fair too. you w’ll pardon me , you shud hve guessed ,that i’m not comp. savy, having retd sometime ago.Iam not patient with the comp[FAST] as itseems.and economise in use of words. As for the CAPS , AS YOU SAY THE TOPJC SURE NEEDS TO BE SHOUTED TO BE HEARD,1 DONT YOU THINK. ANYWAY U CANX’PECT SOME IMPROVMNT BT WILL HVE TO BEAR WTH ME TIL THEN. THANK YOU.
Dear Venakt Sir, i agree with you on the all points expect for the Parking facility you have mentioned. I’m a resident of Govindappa Road for past 35 years and if you make Govindappa Road or H B Samaja Road as parking, then residents staying these roads will suffer a lot. Now itself its become a problem and if its officially done,we cannot stay there. People now itself dont value the sentiments of residents staying in these roads and they park their cars or two wheelers in haphazardly manner including in front of house gates which is too much of inconvenience for all the residents.
If we really plan to do something, we need to come out with a full proof plan and to get our existing problems we had approached our people representatives but nobody has done anything.
Please do let me know as to how to take this forward and i would be more than happy to pitch in my efforts.