BMTC

Heavy rains breach lake, flood homes in north Bengaluru Heavy rains breached the corner bund of Doddabidarakallu lake, leading to overflow and inundation of about 500 houses, early on Thursday morning. Residents of Bhavani Nagar, Annapurneshwari Layout, Anandappa Layout and Muneshwara Layout were horrified as water levels rose up to almost six feet. Power cuts worsened the situation, leaving residents groping in the dark for their belongings. The lake bund was breached at about 2 am, as it received a huge volume of water from a stormwater drain (SWD) upstream. Police came to the spot at about 3 am with…

The city administration recently resolved to implement bus lanes on the 12 high-density corridors identified by the government in 2016. This brings in some pertinent observations by citizens at large, who are very excited about the project but are also concerned if it would be effective on ground. What is proposed is not Bus Rapid Transit which is a system with its own dedicated tracks, a separate rolling stock of buses, and separate bus stations (if the ticketing systems are different). The 12 high-density corridors are proposed to have bus priority lanes which use the existing road infrastructure and the…

“In your opinion, what is the most prevalent problem faced by the residents of your area?” three of us from the non-profit IT for Change, asked the youth of Old Baiyappanahalli a few months ago. It didn’t take long for the youth to unanimously respond – the traffic at the railway gate, which had been the bane of their existence. “It’s becoming impossible by the day!” they said in exasperation. Further discussions revealed that Baiyappanahalli road was underserved by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). This stretch connects Swami Vivekananda Road metro station (along Old Madras Road), to Maruti Seva…

Co-authored by Dattatraya T Devare and Saurabh Ketkar There’s a saying by Gustavo Petra, Former Mayor of Bogota, Columbia that is often seen on social media posters and discussions on mobility. Petra says, and rightly so, “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars, It’s where the rich use public transportation.” Perhaps the most critical element of any major city is its public transportation network. It is akin to the veins and arteries in our bodies, taking people from their homes to their destinations, to help the city build and grow. Without this crucial link, an…

Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, a bus commuters’ rights forum, is having a public discussion on the impact that cab aggregators like Ola, Uber have on mobility and livelihoods on 23rd August. Researchers on mobility, the gig economy, and representatives of the drivers will join them. The speakers are: Kaveri Medappa - Doctoral Researcher, University of Sussex Sudeept Maiti - Senior Manager, Integrated Transport, World Resources Institute Tanveer Pasha - President, Ola and Uber Owners and Drivers Association Event details: Date & Time: 23 August, 2019 at 6pm Venue: Vishranti Nilayam, Infantry road, Bengaluru (Opp. 'The Hindu' office) [ This article…

Co-authored by Dattatraya T Devare and Saurabh Ketkar It is not news that urban Indian roads are a nightmare, and Bangalore is perhaps in the contention for winning the award for the worst traffic scenario. But one needs to dig deeper to find the root of the problem. Our streets are extremely unequal, in more ways than one. The streets of our city are perhaps the most democratic of spaces we can envision. Protests against governments, demands of minority groups, gay pride parades all find expression on the streets. It is the one space that every citizen can share with…

“A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport,” is an interesting remark by Enrique Penalosa, the former Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia. Bengaluru needs to inspire a shift in the travel pattern of its citizens - from private transport to public transport. Buses are an awesome way to travel in the city. But we hear that BMTC finds Volvo AC buses unviable, and that the government is even considering taking these off the roads. According to BMTC’s 2017-18 annual report, the state-run corporation had lost around 6.9 lakh daily passengers…

Newspapers are reporting that the Karnataka government is considering handing over BMTC's 1000 AC buses to other Road Transport Corporations (RTCs) due to profitability concerns, and also adding 3000 regular buses to all RTC fleets. Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV), a collective that campaigns for better BMTC services, welcomes the move to rethink the presence of Volvo AC buses and replace these with ordinary buses. The decision will greatly help urban poor commuters and the corporation itself. We, however, would like to emphasise that no buses should be taken off the roads until new ones are added to the fleet.…

  HC directs BBMP to install CCTV cameras around lakes On Tuesday, High Court directed the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) to set up closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras around all lakes. This is to maintain security, and prevent illegal activities including encroachments. A Division Bench issued the direction while dictating an interim order in a PIL on poor maintenance of stormwater drains (SWDs) and sewage entry into lakes. The Bench also directed BBMP to draw up a comprehensive plan in six weeks to prevent encroachment of SWDs. Source: The Hindu   Flyover proposed between Kamakhya and Ittamadu BBMP has…