Commute

From time to time newspapers report that an effort is to be made to improve footpaths (sidewalks, pavements) to benefit pedestrian movement. In 2005 and 2006 such statements came from the office of the Commissioner, BMP. In 2007 the Deccan Herald reported that the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic & Security) had announced work on, ‘a policy dedicated to construction and maintenance of footpaths’. There is hardly any evidence on the ground of results from either initiative.Footpath access blocked by Police (Pic: S.G.Narayanamurthy)16th Cross kerb 2007 (Pic: S.G.Narayanamurthy)Bank van customers block Footpath (Pic: S.G.Narayanamurthy)Car equipping work on Footpath (Pic: S.G.Narayanamurthy)Cars…

 For four days last week, Thursday to Sunday, BMTC dropped the bus fares for the city's Volvo buses to Rs.1. The Hindu reported on 16 September that several buses suffered damages to tyres, suspensions, blowers, window screens, seat fabrics, and more. ⊕

In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at the High Court of Karnataka, the CMH Road Shops and Traders’ Association has challenged the legality of the Metro Rail Project implemented by the BMRC (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation). On 18th and 20th August, Justice Gopala Gowda and Chief Justice P D Dinakaran heard legal arguments. Citizen Matters has been following the proceedings.Is the Metro legal? Government: ‘yes’, Traders: ‘no’ Pramila Nesargi, legal counsel representing the CMH Road traders, argued that in both Kolkata and Delhi, the metro was constructed after the passage of the “Metro Railways Construction of Works Act”. This Act…

Believe it or not, Bangalore does have a traffic control room. It is called the Traffic Management Centre and is situated on the first floor of Ashok Nagar Police Station. As you enter the air-conditioned room, you will see five LCD screens mounted on the wall. All of them are connected to computers. The screens show a grid of nine small screens with traffic movements captured through cameras. Any one of the junctions from the screen can be enlarged and seen in particular. LCD screens with a grid of traffic various junctions (Pic: Supriya Khandekar)The system uses two types of…

The traffic situation at the KR Puram Flyover Bridge makes for a miserable and highly frustrating experience. Nowadays, most Bangaloreans have to travel miles to reach their office or work place. In the midst of the journey, ordinary traffic state or jams are bearable but the situation of waiting at the same point for close to an hour is frustrating. The different issues I have noticed and faced at this junction are: • Cross roads access to and from the junction.• Roads narrows down terribly at the Railway bridge junction ... leading to huge congestion. The roads' width is just…

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL)’s plan for shopping space inside the to-be-built metro stations is likely to leave many displaced traders stranded. Except two stations, one on M G Road and the other at Byapanahalli, and possibly a third -- the Trinity Circle station, all other stations will not have shops inside, according to K Nagendra, Public Relations Officer at BMRCL. Nagendra says that Metro stations which will have provisions for parking lots and integrated transport facilities will be the ones earmarked for inclusion of shops. The other stations are going to be basic. The crane moves at…

I was in a miserable state of mind on Independence Day. The traffic nightmare that I was subjected to on the previous evening was the reason.On 14th August 2008 evening, there was a heavy downpour in Bangalore. My domestic help was to board the Rajdhani to Delhi scheduled to depart at 8.20 PM. We reside at Old Madras Road close to C.V.Raman Nagar. We started at 6.30 PM, a good 2 hours ahead. I cannot explain the nightmare that we went through....Horror Situations1. To engage an auto to take us to the station2. Negotiating a fare which was jacked up…

 Is Namma Metro on a safe track?Experts and officials respond to questions and concerns around the safety and design controversy surrounding the Bengaluru Metro’s construction.Metro work chugging along But rather wearily, and with many hiccups. Recent update is that 11 cases against land acquisition on CMH Road were dismissed in just three days.Metro station construction to begin soon Stations construction is slated for January-February 2009. Smart cards are planned, stations will be disabled-friendly. Reach 1 will be operational by December 2010, the latest estimate.Ruling coming up on future of Metro Rail, traders Citizen Matters is following the High Court proceedings…

Whenever we see roads being laid anywhere, we see concrete or tar with bulldozers and big mixers. As some of you will be aware, Bangalore now has plastic-blended roads, which have been proven to be stronger, smoother and less bumpier. In fact, all the new road constructions happening in the city (including the contested road-widening project), will be using plastic, according to the BBMP. BTS 7th Main Road off of K H Road, is plastic blended. (Outside Shanthinagar Bus Stand) Pic: Author. But what are these plastic roads all about? I had the same question in my mind when I…

The incoming BJP government was quick to announce that one of its top priorities would be to improve infrastructure in the capital city, especially in transport. This is not the first time that such a promise has been made by the state government, but there are reasons to believe that this time the political will is stronger, and also that the administrative capacity to actually achieve some of the objectives is now available with various departments. There are, at the outset, three kinds of choices to be made. Once these are settled, the rest of the effort towards making Bangalore…