Commute

Recently I ventured into the RTO office at Bhattarahalli, K R Puram, to renew my driving licence (DL). Using the Citizen Matters guide and BMTCinfo.com, I figured the bus routes from Mayo Hall. I reached the office, which is 6 km from KR Puram Railway/bus station, in little over an hour. I went with a lot of optimism, as I had heard things had gotten streamlined and 'clean'. I was armed with the Form 9 that I had downloaded from the RTO site and filled. When I reached the office, I saw several agents hovering at the entrance, whom I…

"I want a Bangalore, where a child and an elderly person can both feel safe while crossing the road", proclaimed esteemed Kannada writer, Sri Ananthamurthy, at the recent Bangalore Literature Festival, 2012. Much more than a reputed author and social commentator, this distinguished gentleman has driven home the point about our city's warped road sensibility. However, these words of wisdom from a celebrated old guru, is something that Bangalore apparently is least inclined to heed.In this modern burgeoning city and India's fifth largest metropolis, the chances of a pedestrian crossing the street without being knocked down are looking progressively bleak.…

Gnanabharati Layout was formed by BDA many years ago to the north of the Bangalore-Mysore rail tracks, adjacent to the Bangalore University Campus. Yet, to this day, the Layout lacks proper vehicular access. Residents have to use the existing Level Crossing No 10 on the road to Dubhashipalya from Mysore Road - at Km 14 on State Highway 17.Residents of the Layout have been fighting a long and hard battle with the BDA and BBMP to obtain even basic amenities such as metalled roads, street lights, facilities for water and sewage over the past  twelve years. Parts of the Layout…

Every morning and evening, sad scenes greet Kadugodi residents at this major point in Whitefield. The railway crossing that connects Kadugodi's population to the bus stand and railway station has become a serious sore point for all in the area, and here's why.At any given time, there will be a goods train with endless carriages waiting for a signal to move. This makes crossing over a nightmare for all ages. In the mornings, when most people are rushing to the bus stand to reach office or school, this poses a great threat. Children and the elderly often have to squeeze…

I found these two Harley Davidson's at Cuppa cafe the other day....I've seen the Harley-Davidson communities in the US, looks as if we have an active community here, in Bangalore, too! ⊕

I meet Lavanya Keshavamurthy on a lazy afternoon at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). I am here to know more about a unique bicycle sharing programme called "Namma Cycle" which has been active in IISc the last four months. It was started by a group of cycling enthusiasts, including Lavanya (operations in charge at Namma Cycle) and Murali H R (founder-director of Namma Cycle). Cyclists in the campus. Pic:nammacycle.in A former technology professional, Lavanya Keshavamurthy left her MBA in Canada mid-way to come back to Bangalore and work on this unique and experimental initiative. "Its been an adventure," Lavanya…

Going by the schedule given by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the 42.3 kilometers long Phase-1 of Namma Metro should be ready by the mid of 2014. However, the project is running behind schedule by almost 2 years. The traffic volume is increasing twofold each year, says one expert M N Srihari. The metro is believed to be the one project that can make commuting easier and would help decongesting roads. Illustration of planned R V station. Pic: bmrc.co.in The major cause of delay in Phase-1 is land acquisition. Reach-3 line between Swastik in Malleshwaram and Hessarghatta Cross was…

In recent times, there has been frequent leadership change in BMTC. It's new Managing Director Anjum Parwez took charge only about two and half months back. Parwez, 43, is an IAS officer of ‘94 batch. Parwez joined as BMTC MD in September end. Pic: Navya P K Before BMTC, he had been posted in various departments like Urban Development, Land Revenue and Rural Development. In this exclusive interview with Citizen Matters, Parwez talks about BMTC's new plans, and also explains the rationale for starting new services, limiting Volvos to certain routes etc. Here are excerpts from the interview: What are…

"Please, please, mera change vaapas keejiye, please sir." She was in her thirties, nicely dressed in a blue churidhar with a gold-ish lining, spectacled, and worried.Furiously issuing tickets, the uniformed BMTC person she was pleading with was in the far upper corner of my favourite red monster 500 C. The bus had already stopped at  Marathahalli and departed. She panicked that she had not gotten her change back and had missed her stop.This conductor, middle-aged, spectacled, unusually chubby-cheeked, had not even heard a word of her plea. One of us fellow passengers called out to him. In the meantime he…

Bangalore is projected as an emerging "City of Opportunities". It is the most favoured destination, not only in India, but also globally. Unfortunately, there is minimal co-ordination between interconnected government departments and delays in commencement and execution of most infrastructure projects. Recently, the Federation Of Karnataka Chambers Of Commerce and Industry had invited N. Sivasailam, MD, BMRCL, to address its members. Based on various observations, I have the following suggestions to make the Bangalore Metro passenger friendly and improve overall city infrastructure: 1. Asphalting of roads a few roads below the underpasses of Namma Metro across the city need asphalting. We…