traffic

When government officials do not perform their duties, we are quick to publicise their shortcomings, but how often do we take the effort to recognise them when they've done a good job?    The Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA) on behalf of the citizens of Yelahanka in North Bangalore organised a unique event on 27th December 2014.   Officials from BBMP, BWSSB, Forest Department, Police Department and Ezzy Group were felicitated for all that they have done in Yelahanka during the past year - supporting and coordinating environment-related programs like lake rejuvenation, Cycle Day, wet waste management, kitchen gardening, cleanliness drives…

One of the small, but intensely annoying practices that I am increasingly finding is that of security guards in front of large office/commercial buildings, obviously acting on instructions, to "reserve" the parking space in front of the buildings for those who are visiting an office in that building, and to prevent others from parking there.   In fact, Corporation Bank in J P Nagar  3rd Phase (1st Main, along the Mini Forest) also went to the extent of putting up cardboard notices on the chain-link fence saying that the space was for their customers. Saner counsels have prevailed and the notices…

Ajit Lakshmiratan writes:"Long long ago...precisely in 1977..when 27, I had parked my bike (Jawa MYM 2877) in front of Prince Hotel in Brigade Rd extn.Bangalore for a short time (No Parking zone).When I returned, a constable asked me to come to the nearby Police Station (Shoolay PS, now renamed as Ashoknagar PS). Shoolay PS was at that time known for the strict rule book, no nonsense Inspector. My father was there with me and I was sure that he would bail me out at the Station like all fathers do when sons are in trouble. But at the station, my…

For reasons beyond my conviction, I have stopped traveling by train and interstate bus. Maybe these experiences could be a few of the reasons. One morning my aunt was travelling to Chennai by the Shatabdi and the expected time of departure (ETD) of the train was 6 am from the Bangalore City station. It was drizzling a bit, so I cautioned that we leave the house at 5 am, though we were just about 8 kms from the train station. I know the roads and traffic with small rains have perfectly predictable outcomes – road blocks and traffic jams, even…

In the early hours of the morning, (and I really mean ungodly hours), the peace and calm of the locality is only interrupted by the occassional chirping of early birds out to get worms. Or so we've heard. To the residents of the locality of Byrasandra (the place is as unglamourous as it sounds, trust me), this would be a novel concept. One that they would in all probability not even be aware of. In this BBMP-forsaken area, the early hours of the morning are filled with resounding honking, loud enough even to wake the dead. I'm half surprised there…

Traffic on Mysore Road. Pic: Google Maps I am an ordinary citizen of Bengaluru who travels all the way from Rajarajeshwari Nagar to Sarjapur Outer Ring Road for work every day. I almost travel 50 kms each way. On the way, I see that more than 50% of jams are purely because of someone flouting the rules. I thought I must present my thoughts to see whether some problems can be solved. 1.       For example, the Rajarejshwari Arch bus stand on the Mysore road is at a traffic trisection, which creates so much of confusion, at all times of the…

Everywhere, as people park wrongly, we find the police towing away the parked cars, but I find a refreshing interlude when I spotted this van outside IIM, Bangalore: Perhaps they tow two cars at a time?

The underside... The underside... The underside...I know that cars today come with all sorts of adornments and detailing, but yet found it strange that someone would want the underside of the car to be lit up like this! Is this common? Bangalore, 260414. 

When a seven-km stretch of the road takes 45 minutes to cross, it calls for an action. When the area is near a prominent IT zone like Whitefield in Bengaluru, it is likely to affect the image of the city too. Bruhat Whitefield Residential Community Association (BWRCA) from Whitefield will submit a memorandum to the Kadugodi Traffic Police demanding to solve the traffic problems near Whitefield. The three major issues that the memorandum highlights are: Enforcing ‘no entry’ for heavy vehicles at Kadugodi Rail Over Bridge, during peak hours; Better traffic management at Hope farm circle Prohibiting parking of vehicles…

The familiar face of wrongdoing...two scooterists who are caught breaking a one-way rule are being nabbed by the policeman. I could not wait to see what the outcome of this encounter would be. Would the people on the scooter pay the required fine? Would they try to bribe the cop?   Would they be successful if so? Or would they try to "beg forgiveness" and plead to be let off this once? Or would they try to intimidate the cop by dropping the names of bigwigs they know, or are related to? I had to move on, but did not…