Commute

Citizen Action Forum explains their position on the Elevated Corridor controversy -- in the light of the recent court order in their writ petition. The petition is related to the functioning of the Metropolitan Planning Committee, the constitutionally mandated body responsible for city planning.  In our PIL regarding Metropolitan Planning Committee Writ 48720/2014 we have received a recorded mention asking the government “not to precipitate matters” till the Writ is disposed of. This is in specific regard to our Interlocutory Application informing the Court that mega projects like the Elevated Corridors are being planned and tenders floated in the pendency…

The Government of Karnataka proposes a long network of elevated traffic corridors, totalling close to 90 kilometres in length, to alleviate congestion in Bengaluru, and recently floated a tender for the first phase of the project. This tender, and subsequent ones to follow, are on the basis of a detailed feasibility report commissioned by Karnataka Road Development Corporation and prepared by a trio of private consultants engaged for the purpose. The report only mentions the construction cost of the project, which is over Rs. 19,000 crores. There have been press reports that claim once land acquisition and other costs are…

Anyone who lives in Bengaluru is keenly aware of the high levels of traffic congestion here. People are forced to spend hours stuck in traffic jams. A 2017 study by the cab aggregator Ola had found that Bengaluru had the slowest-moving traffic in India, with average speed on some roads, like the Outer Ring Road (ORR), dropping to a measly 4.4 km/h, slightly lower than the average walking speed! One of the main constraints on road capacity is junctions where there are conflicting turning movements. For example, if you wish to turn right and the vehicles travelling in the opposite…

Mass transit such as BMTC, Namma Metro, or even cabs and auto rickshaws no longer dictate the convenience or time of your commute. A valid driving license and digital photo is all it would take for you to drive away with your choicest brand of two-wheelers. For over a year now, popular rent-a-bike services have been offering ‘rides’ to Bengalureans, catering to their local and hyperlocal commute. With low security deposit, online payment options, and no parking hassles, these app-based services make you think twice about owning a two-wheeler. Bounce, Drivezy, Vogo, Twic, ONN Bikes, Royal Brothers and Wheelstreet are…

A 600-metre stretch of footpath, along the Old Outer Ring Road in Nagarbhavi, has become a nightmare for pedestrians. This stretch starts from the main gate of Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology (Dr AIT), a leading engineering college, and ends at Kengunte Circle. The Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM), an educational institution under central government's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is also located along this stretch. This stretch of footpath is perilous for the thousands of students and staff of IIPM and Dr AIT, and the general public, who use it everyday. It is ever-filled with vast volumes of…

In February, the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited – MSPDCL announced a whopping number of total vacancies within the company --- 622 for various posts across departments. The jobs advertised included those for Computer Operator, Junior Technical Assistant and other vacancies. Other than two positions which required a Bachelor’s degree, the vacancies were mostly for undergraduates and specified no requirement for technical or higher education. Given the open call and the large number of vacancies, the response was overwhelming. Unemployed youths – men and women thronged the MSPDCL office located in the state capital Imphal. The large number of applicants swelled to…

I was pretty excited and went with a lot of hope to attend a 'Namma Karnataka' development conclave at Vidhana Soudha on February 17, jointly organised by a media house and Government of Karnataka. The event, however, turned out to be a major marketing and propaganda exercise of government’s infamous Elevated Road Corridor Project. Large flex banners highlighting the project had been put up at the venue, and the panel discussion on Bengaluru’s transport issues hardly had any discussion, and there was no question and answer session. Since I and many other invitees did not get an opportunity to voice…

Should we allow more apartments  to come up near Kanakapura Road in Bengaluru because it has a metro line that can help people living there to commute? Do we allow more tech parks near Guindy in Chennai because it is well connected by bus and suburban train? Did Mumbai grow around the local train? Are transit lines the new age rivers?Transit oriented development (ToD) or development oriented transit (DoT) -- What should it be for Indian cities? Are these some of the questions that play on your mind when you think of what is happening in our cities today in…

The Prime Minister of India had urged people to use public transportation rather than personal vehicles during the Global Mobility Seminar held in September 2018. This would require public transportation to be incentivised and private vehicle ownership/usage to be disincentivised. Public bus transportation in Bengaluru is ailing, with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (BMTC) seeking Rs 260 crores from the state government to sustain its existing level of services. Currently the BMTC is running on a loss of Rs 10 for every kilometer that it operates. There have been discussions by the Transport Department to propose a bus fare hike. This…

In an interview with Citizen Matters done in 2016, Rajendra Kumar Mishra, popularly known as R K Mishra, had said that the proposed elevated corridor project would encourage public transport. This was at the height of the public opposition to the proposed Steel flyover where the pros and cons of flyovers were being hotly debated. In the last part of our four part series on the Steel Flyover/ elevated corridor projects, we spoke to Misra, who as a member of the Chief Minister's Vision Group, had batted for the Elevated Corridor Project. Right at the outset, Mishra denied ever being…