Commute

A Google Earth image shows piling up of traffic coming from North Bengaluru, in front of Palace Grounds. The State government has budged to the public demand and has put the tender process related to the proposed controversial steel flyover on hold. According to news reports, tender process was in the final stages of being awarded. Following a meeting with many urban experts from the city, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George told media that the government will hold public consultations with civic groups before finalising the project. The six-lane steel flyover, 6.7 kms long and costing Rs 1350 crores,…

I have this thing for pavements. Actually, I have a thing for many things, but the current thing is pavements. Let me tell you, this was not something I took to in a rush. It took many months for me to get warmed up. You see, I walk back and forth between my home and my office. Walking on Indian roads needs complete alertness, and in that hyper-attentive state, I started noticing things. Don’t ask me why, but I latched on to pavements and before long, I was quite an expert on the matter. I don’t do things by half…

Urban mobility is one of the toughest challenges that cities face. Being able to get around urban areas quickly, conveniently and with little environmental impact is critical particularly in large cities. With a rapidly growing population, the mobility problems of Bangalore are only increasing. The National Urban Transport Policy aims at promoting Integrated Land Use Planning, Bus Rapid Transit, Non-motorised Transport etc. Implementation of these policy measures calls for innovative urban transport planning and adoption of modern and smart technologies. SCIF is conducting a workshop to discuss the challenges presented by the ever-increasing demand for mobility in Bangalore. The workshop…

This is the second, no, the third time I have had problems with invaders of the pedestrian pavements in Bengaluru. And this time I have had the most painful experience which I blame solely on the cops for not controlling. I have a huge and painful gash on the front of my shin where there is hardly any flesh and what makes it worse is I am a chronic diabetic. Digging on the other side of Richmond Road. Pic: Mariane D Nazarath Three scooter-borne jay riders were racing down Hayes Road on the wrong side of the road while I…

Real-time information displayed at ITS control room in Shanthi Nagar. Pic: Akshatha M On May 25th at 3 pm, the day Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) launched its ambitious Intelligent Transport System (ITS), the screen at ITS Control Room in BMTC head office was brimming with statistics. One particular screen was displaying a graph with following figures: Buses skipped the stop - 1,470 Deviation - 83 Early arrival - 401 Schedule not departed - 414 Late departure - 852 and Over speed - 644 One click on the “over speed” graph and there pops up another window. It has information…

I've written before on the practice many organisations indulge in, in appropriating the space in front of their buildings as ‘reserved’ parking spaces for themselves. I think the problem is assuming large proportions and the police department should launch a campaign and a drive against this pernicious practice. I went to visit a friend who lives on Eagle Road, Langford Town. In front of her home is Agarwal Eye Hospital. My friend parked in the empty spot and promptly a security guard came and told us to park on the opposite site of the road because, "A patient will come…

The Metro is a convenient mode of transportation. But, once an individual gets off the metro, he/she needs to figure how to complete the last leg of the commute. Getting an auto can be a hassle and walking might also not be convenient. Instead, what if they could cover the rest of the distance on their own bicycle? While that sounds like a great idea, think about this: Are cycles even allowed on the metro? BMRCL only allows foldable cycles that fit through the baggage scanner. So, a majority of cyclists cannot take their cycles on the metro. Cycling enthusiasts…

This is a story that has passion, action, drama, blood (well, not blood really, but it seems like people are baying for our blood), sweat and tears! Sounds like a Bollywood potboiler? Well, that’s the Durga alarm story for you. It is nothing short of a potboiler, with multitudes of characters, plots, sub-plots and plenty of action. The humble beginnings of the Durga alarm The story quite literally started in 2014, when the first thoughts took shape and it developed, slowly and painstakingly over unlimited cups of tea and brain-storming sessions. Almost 90% of the women who attended our workshops…

Elevated road on Hosur road. Pic. source : skyscrapercity.com What's the problem? Work commute is taking a hit with traffic congestion on the roads increasing. Since the problem is on the road, the solution has been to increase it and remove perceived obstructions like signals, pedestrians etc from the line of sight of the car to increase speed. One can draw an analogy to an obese person taking on too much comfort food because it feels good and now he/she needs bigger pants. He/she fails to notice that this is potentially fatal in the long run with illness and diseases…

For the first time, I feel that the long-sought Commuter Rail System is within reach. The state government appears willing to fund this in the Budget, and an initial round of money should help create the momentum for building out the solution in the next 3-4 years. And the national government too appears broadly ok with the plan. With this, the frustrating cycle of each waiting for the other to act will hopefully come to an end. Many people have been part of trying to make this happen, and if it does - as seems likely - we should count…