Commute

The auto fares in Bengaluru have been revised as on 12 March, 2012. Are the auto drivers happy? No! Neither are the commuters. Around 2.5 years ago the minimum fare used to be Rs 14 and the Auto LPG gas price was Rs 37.33 per litre and now when the gas costs around Rs 49 per litre, the minimum auto fare still remains Rs 20.But fare hike is not the only issue here. Auto drivers refuse rides all the timeThe auto drivers toil and work hard but most manage meagre earning of Rs 250 a day. The commuters however think…

BDA can no longer work on the five grade separator projects planned in Koramangala. On February 27th, High Court ordered a stay based on a PIL filed by Koramangala residents. Pic: Deepthi M S Residents had been in discussions with BDA for over six months to re-consider flyover and underpass projects at Koramangala water tank, Krupanidhi college, 80-feet road - Sarjapur road intersection and Jakkasandra junctions. These works alone cost Rs 120 cr. This is part of the larger signal-free corridor project from Agara to Sirsi Circle, planned by BBMP in 2009. The project is implemented by BDA.Residents had filed…

The traffic near the erstwhile High ground Police Station refused to move. It was already eleven in the morning and I had set up an appointment to meet Archana Prasad, Jaaga's founder, at 11.30. As the clock ticked away, I couldn't help but smile at the tailormade situation for the topic I was to discuss with her. Art by Indo-German artists. Pic: Poornima Dasharathi The Directorate of Urban Land Transport(DULT) had partnered with Jaaga to explore alternate non-motorized transport solutions for Malleswaram. The project named "Malleswaram Accessibility Project" had an objective surveying the existing modes of transport and the commuting…

The Bellary road toll fee protest might have fizzled out quietly, but what may have gone unnoticed was the use of forceful language in the transport union's flyers.The Federation Of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agent Association chose strong and retaliatory language at NHAI's decision to impose tolls. They termed it 'A daylight robbery by NHAI' in their flyers.The association further claims in its flyer as to how NHAI has violated its own rules by setting up a toll gate within 10kms of the BBMP limits and by collecting toll fee before the completion of the road."It is in their…

Ranka Colony road, off Bannerghatta road, is a good example of the city's horrendous infrastructure. There are at least ten apartments, with around 2000 flats, along the road. This road has been in poor condition since the last 10 years. Rainwater would enter apartments, rising up to seven feet high, damaging parked vehicles and entrapping residents. Over the years BBMP has dug the road many times, but never fixed it. BBMP again dug up the road last year, which has only caused more trouble. A 1600-m storm water pipeline is being laid along the service lane from Bannerghatta main road…

For the past few years, development works executed by civic agencies including BWSSB, BDA, BBMP and KPTCL have been going on in HSR Layout. This has resulted in frequent traffic diversions into HSR Layout, from Ring Road - Sarjapur Road, that cause major inconvenience for us all. HSR RWA members called the officials for a public meeting. Pic: Meera K Residents and shopkeepers along 27th main road of HSR Layout continue to live with the pain caused by BWSSB water pipeline work. The peace of this layout has been disturbed with attendant noise and pollution over months. Will the authorities…

Is it OK to "decorate" one's car in this fashion?  It's all very well to decorate one's car with the symbols of one's faith: But this seems to leave, quite literally, a very small window of vision for the driver, and almost none at all for the passenger in front.Are such "windshield decorations" legal? More important, are they safe? ⊕

About a month ago, I was waiting at the bus stop opposite Cubbon Park to catch a bus home to JP Nagar. Since the frequency of buses to JP Nagar is low, I waited for a bus to Jayanagar from where I could change over. I avoided the 13 series buses that were terribly crowded. Within minutes came an empty bus with the board T4 (Nagavara to Jagajeevanram Nagar via Corporation). Seeing the name Corporation, I boarded the bus. I alighted in front of the BBMP office and walked down to Mission Road stop, where within minutes the ever frequent…

Someone famous once said, “Life is what you make out of it.” How true is this adage, considering the death of a 17-year-old boy from JP Nagar 7th Phase who was mercilessly mowed down by a car? The incident was reported in local newspapers, and it makes us wonder if your life is in fact what others make for you. What is needed is road discipline by people behind the wheel. If one steps into the four-road junction in front of Brigade Millennium apartment complex in JP Nagar, one can observe that:•Despite traffic signals in place, two wheelers whizz past…

The Karnataka government's negligence toward health schemes for migrants working on Namma Metro construction sites can be blamed for a 55 percent rise in respiratory problems among them since 2009. Worse, a metro contractor at one site is using child labour openly. Migrant workers at the metro construction work in dangerous conditions without safety equipment. Pic: Rupsa Chakraborty. Every month the Victoria Hospital at KR Market registers a minimum of 30 to 45 cases of migrant metro workers complaining of respiratory problems.Madhusudan Das, a medical information officer at the hospital, said this is mainly due to their constant exposure to…