Commute

Confusion prevails among Bannerghatta road residents, after BBMP announced its road widening plans. Though notices were issued to many occupants along the road last year and markings made on walls, no work was undertaken due to compensation-related issues. Constructions galore BBMP plans to widen the 7.4 km stretch between JD Mara junction (where JP Nagar ORR intersects Bannerghatta road) to Koli Farm Gate after NICE ring road. According to BBMP's Major Roads department, the road will be widened from the existing 25-30 m to 45 m. Project is estimated to cost Rs 250-300 cr. Widening will start at Jedimara junction,…

It was a regular working day and I was on my way home on my scooter from college after a session of corrections of end of term answer scripts. The traffic lights were red at the Lifestyle junction and I waited till they turned green before I rode onto Richmond Road. As I took the turn I noticed a large pile up of traffic before me stretching backwards to the Sapphire Toy Shop. So riding up fairly slowly I came to a halt behind a large black car. Barely had I put my feet down and left my grip on…

This is one question that arises in the mind of commuters travelling from BTM Layout via Maruti Nagar to Koramangala. For the last six months, BWSSB had made a mess of Thaverekere 1st Main Road. Now the vehicles coming from Forum to BTM Udupi garden are diverted via Maruti nagar. Due to this, traffic have increased during peak hours. Now commuters have to choose an alternate road to save time and avoid traffic in Maruti Nagar road.Recently Maruti Nagar Road had a traffic jam; adding more trouble to commuters were some private property owners who have left construction materials such…

To bring about more awareness about traffic rules and make Bangalore city more traffic friendly, Outer Ring Roads Association (ORRCA), an association of IT and ITES in the city companies is planning to observe 9th of every month as ‘Traffic Day’ beginning this June.  ORRCA is urging citizens of Bangalore to enlist as volunteers and stand at major road junctions where they manage traffic, the ‘Munnabhai’ way. What you can do as a volunteerAs a volunteer, if you find anyone violating traffic rules such as, criss-crossing on road, triple riding, using mobile phones while riding or driving, please stop him…

After Anna Hazare's Bengaluru event on Saturday, 28th May night, I was returning home from Art of Living with a friend. It was around 11pm. From Kanakapura Road we took left at Gubbalala cross (the road connects Kanakapura Road with Avalahalli in southwest Bengaluru) we encountered a damaged man hole and we both fell down from the scooter. The death spot on Gubbalala cross. Pic: Anand Yadawad. Luckily not much injury, but still it cost more over Rs.500 for hospital expenses, the scooter had scratches and our clothes were torn. My fingers were swollen and I couldn't work on computer…

There I was in the midst of all the top brass of the International Transport Forum listening to countries debate on achieving sustainable urban mobility, better transport makes for better mobility and looking at liveable and sustainable societies. Ideas flew around my head, ideas so foreign sounding for me coming out of India and Bangalore where the only thought of providing solutions by my state government, was to cut down our trees and widen our roads. Here I was in Berlin which has narrow streets where trams and buses ply and all I did was take the combination of a …

The ‘modern' Metro stations in the city will not have any public toilets. BMRC appears to be shirking responsibility by saying that the government has to take initiative for this. Byappanahalli terminal station in reach 1, proposed to be open soon, does not have toilets. Pic: Navya P K   "As Metro is a short distance train for travel within city, it will take only 2-3 minutes to go from one station to another. It cannot be expected to provide facilities given by long distance trains," says Metro spokesperson Y B L Chavan. "There is a proposal to have toilets…

I find that BBMP/BMTC combination has been experimenting with various designs for bus stops...but still, a very vital piece is missing from almost every bus stop that I see. This...is a board that should, at the very least, announce what bus routes are going through the stop. Why is there no provision for this essential piece of information on any bus stop, when there seems to be so much space devoted to advertising?Another instance of the BMTC/BBMP being less user-friendly than they should be. All it takes is a little imagination..or observation, when our top officials go junketing to Singapore…

There is a road widening madness by BBMP these days. It is a clear indication of failure on the part of town planners. In fact planning is being given a go-bye these days! There is a need to constitute a commitee of all concerned to study/research/analyse how to overcome problems of traffic in this fast growing city. 1. Metro operations are to be hastened. 2. Public road transport studied systematically for a smooth flow in dense area of traffic. BMTC should encourage daily passes by introducing more shuttle trips rather than long distance buses. 3. There is need to inter-connect…

I am a resident of BEML Layout, Rajarajeshwari nagar, 7th cross, 9th main, 3rd stage . BWSSB laid the new drainage pipes two months ago. But no on has bothered to bring the road back to normalcy. The drain pipes are just closed with loose soil and even extra soil present on the road is not removed. Vehicles plying on the road get stuck in the loose mud often. Elderly and children find it difficult to walk and have often had falls. When it rains, the road is all slushy. Pic: Anand R 9th main looks like a dirt track.…