Commute

In the past few months, heavy traffic jams in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) have led to suggestions of drastic measures. Mumbai’s guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has proposed that the dedicated cycle tracks at BKC be scrapped and merged with the main vehicular road to accommodate more vehicles.  This has led to much debate about the fate of the BKC cycling track, Mumbai’s first and longest stretch of planned cycling track. However, the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is yet to officially declare its intent and whether it will act upon Lodha’s suggestion.  However, the cycling track which…

Over nine months, we at Walking Project in Mumbai hosted 25 community walks across various neighbourhoods in the city. In groups of 10–15 people, walking across different neighbourhoods, we discussed walkability, educated citizens about the guidelines which dictate the design of walking spaces nationwide, and advocated for urban planning that prioritises walking, among other topics. One of the key highlights of this initiative was the ranking system we developed for the routes we walked. During each walk, we asked participants to rate their route based on specific walkability criteria. This allowed us to create a ranking of the best and…

Few things are more active than a WhatsApp group used by suburban residents in Chennai to lodge complaints. The group serves as a platform for residents to voice their problems, leading to debates and polls. Loud calls for action often rally the entire online community to react with a series of ‘thumbs-up’ emojis. However, it is rare for these proposed solutions to extend beyond the online realm, and even rarer for residents to take tangible steps towards implementing them. But, here is a group that went beyond registering complaints and solved a long-term traffic issue with collective activism, in Kumarasamy…

The infuriating hit and run Porsche case in Pune, is still on people’s minds, and now another case of hit an run, this time in Mumbai’s Worli, hit headlines, raising serious questions about road safety. Mihir Shah, son of a Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader, is accused of hitting a couple on a scooter and dragging the wife on the bonnet of the car instead of stopping the car, resulting in her death. He has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. Victim’s husband, on a video, said that if the driver of the vehicle had stopped the car, his…

Last month, news reports emerged of ticketed passengers stranded at Chennai Central railway station. They carried bonafide tickets for seats on a train bound for Howrah, but discovered that unauthorised travellers had occupied their coaches; it is said that people began to board the train even as the railcars were entering the platform so that the sleeper coaches were full by the time they made a stop at the station. According to a report in The Hindu, ticketless passengers had not only overrun the reserved coaches but also blocked walkways with their luggage, making it impossible for those who had…

Part 1 of this series looked at the cost, risks and challenges of tunnel roads. Part 2 will focus on the alternatives to tunnel roads, and how they can be implemented.  Improve traffic flow: BMTC, Namma Metro and Suburban Rail Metro to Airport:  Namma Metro is extending its Blue Line to Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) as part of Phase-2B. This metro line, connecting Kasturinagar to KIAL, is expected to be operational by June 2026. Once completed, it will significantly reduce traffic on the road to the airport. Namma Metro Blue Line to Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL). Graphic: Rajkumar Dugar Suburban…

In October 2023, Deputy Chief Minister/Bengaluru Development Minister, DK Shivakumar, had announced a 190 kilometre-tunnel road as a solution to ease Bengaluru traffic. In May 2024, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) announced its initial phase plan to construct an 18 kilometre-tunnel road connecting Hebbal and Central Silk Board. This road will include five entry and exit points for vehicles. A tunnel road is an underground passageway for vehicles to travel through. It provides a direct route through an obstacle, such as a mountain or body of water, which would be otherwise impractical or impossible to traverse through by vehicle.…

Wayfinding is part of global travel culture but in India it poses a serious challenge. Even in the era of national job mobility and a post-COVID tourism wave, governments don’t make it easy for people to find public places and essential facilities even in the biggest cities. Politicians are keen to provide clear pointers only to the next election. Maps online provide some guidance, but have nothing to say on the conditions on the ground. Try finding your way from Bengaluru’s bustling Majestic Namma Metro station to the City Railway Station just 200 metres away across the road. For a…

Four hundred and twenty people continue to lose their lives on Indian roads every single day. In 2022, India recorded 4.43 lakh road crashes, resulting in the death of 1.63 lakh people. Vulnerable road-users like pedestrians, bicyclists and two-wheelers riders comprised 67% of the deceased. Road crashes also pose an economic burden, costing the exchequer 3.14% of India’s GDP annually.  These figures underscore the urgent need for effective interventions, aligned with global good practices. Sweden's Vision Zero road safety policy, adopted in 1997, focussed on modifying infrastructure to protect road users from unacceptable levels of risk and led to a…

Recently, there’s been news that the new traffic challan system will mandate a Rs 10,000 penalty on old or new vehicles if owners don't acquire the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification on time. To tackle expired certificates, the system will use CCTV surveillance to identify non-compliant vehicles and flag them for blacklisting from registration. The rule ultimately has several drawbacks, given the difficulty in acquiring PUC certificates in the first place. The number of PUC centres in Chennai has reduced drastically with only a handful still operational. Only the petrol bunk-owned PUC centres charge the customers based on the tariff…