public transport

#ABetterHebbal Challenge was launched in consultation with BMRCL and DULT as a part of CiFoS’ umbrella for high impact, long-term city wide campaign called #ABetterBangalorean. Hebbal, a fast developing suburb was identified for the pilot. With an exponential rate of development in residential, work and transit density, Hebbal is seeing one of the worst traffic congestions. A new Metro line is being provisioned and being an axis for the North-South & East-West it attracts huge bus traffic as well. #ABetterHebbal Challenge invited citizens to bring about ideas for public transport adoption around the Hebbal rooted in strong belief that involving…

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…

If you’ve lived long enough in Mumbai or even if you’ve just arrived, it won’t be long before you start feeling a clawing need for space. Think shoulder to shoulder travel in the Mumbai locals, which carry 7.5 million commuters every day, a number dangerously beyond its capacity. In 2014, Mumbai was ranked sixth on the list of the world’s most populous cities. It is predicted to become the fourth largest by 2030 with a population of 28 million. Yet people can’t seem to get enough of Mumbai. There is a constant influx of migrants looking for gainful employment. A…

The slew of announcements by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech on incentives for electric vehicle manufacturing and adoption in India marked the most recent thrust of the Centre on clean mobility and alternative energy in transport. Earlier in June, the government had called for proposals from state transport departments for the deployment of 5,000 electric buses under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric vehicles (FAME-II) scheme.  For the first time, the Centre  has issued a large tender for such buses. Selected cities will be offered 40 per cent on the costs. The Department of Heavy Industries…

“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…

“Public transport services in Kochi are not friendly for those of us who have different kinds of disabilities,” says Rahul, a resident of the city, who has reduced mobility. Rahul works for an organization in Kochi and has been using an electric wheelchair for the past year. But the wheelchair is useful for him only inside his place of work. Outside the office, he never uses public transport due to its inaccessibility and poor connectivity, and has to be dependent on personal vehicles and companions.  For Rahul, and others like him, it is not just the availability of trains and…

Chakri S is a regular user of the Hyderabad metro, the city’s largest ever infrastructure project. He finds it more convenient and cheaper than using the city bus. But Chakri is one of the lucky ones. As experts are pointing out, the Metro, planned in 2004, has been unable to keep up with the rapid growth and expansion of the city which has nullified some of the original assumptions that went into drawing up the metro routes. “For example, the Miyapur line should be extended upto Patancheru/Lingampally where there are a large number of factories,” said Chakri. “Similarly, connecting HITEC…

With general elections in the country underway, all political parties have promised to prioritise public transport. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party promises to launch an “Urban Mobility Mission,” one of whose aims is to “increase the use of public transport.” On similar lines, the Indian National Congress says it will formulate a “policy on urban transport” that emphasises public transport including “metro rail, suburban rail, public bus transport” and non-motorised transport. Yet, despite these stated aims, transport policy and investment remains resolutely oriented towards road building and private vehicles, particularly in Bengaluru, as evidenced by the controversial elevated corridor project…

Various citizen collectives and individuals gathered at Maurya Circle on Saturday, demanding cancellation of tenders called for the elevated corridor project. When Citizens Live spoke to the protesters, a range of opinions emerged. Some were clear that the project should be scrapped, while some others said that due process including public consultations should be followed first. However, the general consensus was that public transport should be prioritised over mega projects like the elevated corridor that only encourage car ownership further. https://youtu.be/mQWAOY-jf-g