BMRCL

Bengaluru is a city which has far oustripped its original population for which it was designed. From a population of approximately 15 lakhs in the 1970s, to an estimated 110 lakhs today (source: Draft Revised Master Plan 2018), the city’s population has burgeoned beyond limits, and stands at the cusp of further explosive growth to 210 lakh plus by 2031 (the end year of RMP 2031). Transport planning for such a huge population is very important, and cannot depend on piecemeal solutions. That’s where elevated corridors come into picture. Modal shares and extrapolation Many conflicting numbers are being passed around…

With Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s maiden budget reviving the pod taxi for five stretches in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 1445 crores, several eyebrows have been raised in questions over what makes the government favour it as a possible solution to the city’s traffic nightmare. Interestingly, the idea of pod taxis isn't as new as one would imagine. Indian cities have seen similar experiments before: The Chembur - Wadala - Maharaja Chowk monorail project, the airport feeder metro built by the Delhi Metro as a PPP project which was subsequently converted into the orange line. Both have had their…

Travelling within Bengaluru City has become a chronic nightmare for all its citizens. Even as people grapple with never-ending traffic jams, the government has come up with various ideas to solve the issue, including the much debated elevated flyover and the pod taxi project. But are decision makers losing sight of the broader context and framework within which the traffic situation must be viewed? Is there a deep enough understanding of the nuances that need to be considered for the gridlock to be broken and the efficiency of solutions multiplied? Talking to Citizen Matters, Professor Ashish Verma deconstructs the overall…

Eight years ago, a bunch of us were discussing on Praja.in about commuter rail routes and reviewing its potential for changing the transportation scene in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region of 8,000 sqkms. In one of the comments, I had proposed that we use the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) as a hub for rail as well, so a new transport hub for passengers is created. Let’s look at what we might achieve by doing this. Economic growth of a country depends on the productivity of the economy. Efficient, intelligent usage of Labour and Capital investments determine productivity. Where we deploy investments…

State transport department in dire need of funds  Transport Minister DC Thammanna has said that the state transport corporations BMTC, NEKRTC, and NWKRTC have run into annual losses worth Rs 600 crore, and a fare hike may be inevitable if operations are to be continued. The decreasing fuel efficiency (mileage) of buses caused by halting in congested, traffic-ridden roads and additional taxes for fuel have only added to the debt, the minister complained. In order to make profits and generate some revenue, a proposal for a 20% hike in bus fares has already been made. The matter is being considered by the…

Elevated roads, transport authority and soapnut-based detergent industry: Six elevated corridors have hit the headlines once again, with the H D Kumaraswamy-led Co-alition government affirming the commitment to this decades-old plan in the state Budget presented on July 5. Other decisions include a 100-crore aid for BMTC, and formation of Integrated Road Transport Authority (IRTA). Source: Deccan Herald BBMP discusses lake encroachments and waste management: The BBMP council meeting held on June 28 discussed the necessity of buffer zone for lakes to construct buildings, which is contrary to the NGT's order in 2014 on no construction zone within 75 metres…

Manjunatha Prasad re-posted as BBMP Commissioner: He was removed from his position in May by the Election Commission and was awaiting a transfer ever since, but he was unexpectedly given the job back on June 28, 2018. The government transferred M Maheshwara Rao who was holding the position, to the position of Secretary in the Department of Agriculture, additionally managing Horticulture and Sericulture. Source: The Deccan Herald BMRCL revises six-coach train route:  Based on a pattern of commuting identified by BMRCL, certain revisions in timing and routes have been made for the six-coach train. The six-coach train for Purple Line…

Fire kills five in Kailash Bar: Safety norms are always drawn up carefully, but remain only on paper. Even though the state fire department had asked Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to cancel the occupancy certificate of 106 high-rise buildings in 2015, no steps were taken to ensure safety. Notices had been issued to roof top pubs after the Kamala Mills tragedy in Mumbai, yet a fire, maybe due to short circuit, killed five staff members in Kailash Bar, Kalasipalyam. “My question is: Why did we wake up after a mishap occurred in another city when the matter was known…

From new year parties to short-lived hopes on metro trains to medical strike, it has been an eventful week! New Year pulls in with a peaceful bang:  This year’s New Year Eve stood out for its high-security leash on the celebrations. One man wanted to file an FIR against his wife's molestation and 60 were arrested for creating some ruckus. But no major bawdy, lewd or rowdy scenes marred the noise and pomp like last year. The city’s security teams seem to have pulled out all plugs to preempt bad news. A special 16,000-plus policeman squad, 3,000 home guards, 100…

Mobility was arguably Bengaluru’s single largest problem in 2017. Even as people grappled with depleting resources of water and land, it was the nightmare of getting from one place to another that took precedence over all else in our psyche. In a city of about 1.1 crore people, Bengaluru officially has close to 70 lakh registered vehicles. This is the second largest vehicle population in the country, coming behind Delhi which leads the way with a little more than a crore vehicles on its street. Mumbai with a population of 20 million has just over 35 lakh vehicles. In Bengaluru…