Commute

Bengaluru has transformed from a city which was known as the “city of gardens” to the “Silicon Valley of India” because of the major IT boom it has witnessed since the 1990s. This transformation has, however, come at a major cost of widespread damage to the city’s vegetation cover, increasing pollution and concretisation of land. A problem that has crippled the city the most is the increasing traffic congestion. While most of the major roads in Bengaluru are plagued by traffic congestion, Hosur road is one of the worst affected. A 9 km-long elevated expressway was constructed on Hosur road…

The new IRCTC website should make booking easy, right? Wrong! I booked for a train, and then decided to advance the date of travel. I knew this was possible, but could not find out any way to do it on the site. So I googled, and finally called 139 to ask how to do it. The reply: advancement ("preponement") or postponement cannot be done on e-tickets, they can only be done on tickets booked at the railway counters! You think that's funny? Wait. I tried to book two tickets. One is confirmed, and the other one is RAC1. The site…

Dear H D Kumaraswamy, Do you have children or grandchildren? The reason I ask is this: What future are we really gifting them? Have you got any idea what the specialists at the United Nations Climate change, COP conventions are deliberating these days? Let me offer you a flavor: They are debating which countries will take the upcoming waves of Climate Change Refugees. ie, when Maldives goes under the sea, who will receive the wave of refugees that will flee? When Bangladesh is fully under sea, who will receive those millions? These make it look distant. But then what I…

Activists skeptic about Waste-to-Energy plants The waste processing area in Chikkanagamangala will soon get a waste-to-energy plant. The MoU for this was signed early this year. Solid Waste Management Activists from the city have upped their ante against the proposal. They say lower calorific value of the waste will make the plant unviable and would lead to its failure. They fear that the push being given to segregation at source would be derailed. However, BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad says it can be adopted to Indian conditions, and segregation of waste at source will not be stopped. Meanwhile in a written…

The year was 2010. Praja RAAG -- a non-profit dedicated to research and advocacy work on local civic issues in Bengaluru -- started the 'Namma Railu' campaign in the city with the launch of a 'Call to Action Report”.  Namma Railu was the moniker given to the campaign for Commuter Rail, also known as Suburban Rail in India. While the term commuter rail focuses on the commuter, the word suburban rail focuses on the area served, the suburbs. Both refer to the same mode, though internationally the term 'commuter rail' is used more often. An advocacy campaign was launched by…

This article is part of a special series: Air Quality in our Cities "Even though a mechanised sweeper is being used along the arterial roads of Mahadevapura Zone, the roads accumulate dust in no time, and it feels like they have not been cleaned in the first place", says Anu Govind, a volunteer with the citizen's group Whitefield Rising (WR). Dust is something we see everyday, but never think about controlling it outside our homes. A study done in 2010 titled Air Quality Monitoring, Emission Inventory and Source Appropriation Study for Indian Cities, found that road dust accounts for 20 percent…

GoK cracks down on private vehicles, 3781 buses are over 15 years old After a bus toppled and fell into the VC Nagar canal in Mandya district on November 24, the state government launched a crackdown on private vehicles. Officials are checking insurance, registration and permits, emission certificates and Fitness Certificates (FC) during the inspections. Precautionary measures are being taken to prevent future accidents as the bus submerged did not belong to any government agency and is suspected to be in poor condition. Unregulated private vehicles pose a problem to safety of passengers. Section 56 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, says…

The wheels of a bus belonging to Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) came off and the bus hit the ground with a thud. There were no casualties, but the passengers said they would have plunged into the Vrishabhavathi drain if the wheels had fallen off instead on the other side of the road. The incident took place in 2017 on a bus route from Kengeri to K.R.Market, where a wheel came off and the bus hit the front part of the ground. This isn't the only example - BMTC buses have been in the past known for lack of proper…

The Government of Karnataka (GoK) is planning to construct Elevated Corridors of around 90 kms at an estimated cost of Rs. 33,600 crores. The government claims that this will address traffic congestion in the city. There is opposition from citizens and experts alike for this proposed project. On November 17th 2018, the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) held a public discussion on ‘Elevated Corridors: The Need for Alternatives’ which brought together a panel of experts on mobility, city planning, urban commons and law, along with citizens to discuss issues surrounding this project. H S Sudhira of Gubbi Labs said, “Comprehensive…

Pre-property registration work goes online; citizens unhappy with RERA-K The Karnataka government has launched a website to help citizens cut through long queues to register properties at the sub registrar's office. It provides the option to make appointments online. One can get the right valuation of the property. The website helps in the issuance of marriage licenses as well. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy launched it on November 16. The launch date was earlier shifted from October 16 due to the model code of conduct for bye-elections. The web application of the Department of Stamps and Registration can be used to download…