Hi to one and all.
Let me inform al that this idea which I thought was not a quick idea. I observed and studied considering from all angles. The idea was a old one( approx 2yrs old) but took a detailed study.
We have seen or heard about the BUS lane systems across the world. In those lanes only the Public transport bus runs. Well, we very recently also heard that BRTS is going to be implemented in Bangalore. But for that the Govt needs to procure land. Though it is a good idea in terms of movement, but it has some disadvantage too.
LMV's : Two-wheelers, cars, autos and other light motors
HTV's: All kinds of buses, lorries, mini buses, mini lorries maily goods.
The Disadvantage are:
** On the other lanes still the so called HTV's ply along with the LMV's. So the accciedent impact on either of them will be more. If a car collides with a car the impact would be less but if a car collides with a HTV, then the impact would be high.
** The traffic jams will still happen as both type of vechiles move.
** More lands needs to be procured for BRTS.
** The BRTS lane occupancy will be less as compared to the other genral lane.
** The war/cribbing of cars users will still go on as they want full freedom from HTV's.
So I came up with an idea with detailed anyalsis on certain roads. Here are my ideas:
Considering atleast minimum of 2 lanes for BUS OR HTV's lane in one direction.
** Instead of allowing only PUBLIC TRANSPORT to ply on BUS lane, we can allow the HTV's to ply on the BUS lane so as to increase the utilization of bus lane.
** It does decrease the acciedent impact as mentioned in the disadvantage section. The impact between HTV's will be less as the speed will be less since lane system is followed.
** If you all observe in general, the drivers of HTV(lorries), BMTC or be it any PUBLIC BUS transport even the private BUS have good understanding between each other. So I thought of allowing all the HTV's to move in HTV lane.
The usual fight arises between the LMV and HTV users but not b/w HTV users.
** If going to implement then the land needed would be less as the present available road can be used to an extent.
Some of my real possible roads in where this can be implemented are below but before that the Govt civic bodies needs to do some changes.
1- Re-mark the lane width from it's present national highway standard width to practical one.
2- Ban parking cum waiting on the roads totally.
3- Bring out a rule where in if LMV enters into HTV lane and if accident occurs, then the LMV should be booked for accident not the HTV and same holds good in reverse too.
4- Concerte medians/dividers like the ones on bannergatta rd(b/w jaydeva to dairy cle) to be placed t discreminate the lanes.
4- Two-tier signal system. One for HTV's lane and other for LMV lane. (Reason: since the HTV's are allotted in the center lane, when an HTV wants either to move right or left, then there would be obstruction as the LMV lane vechiles will be moving straight or either side.)
a) Minerva Signal to Town Hall Signal ( Total no. lanes available presently 4)
Procedure to implement
The right and left lane are to be alloted for the LMV's( 2-wheelers, cars, autos).
The center two lanes for the HTV's.
Now the question arises, if by chance a road user enters to the left lane wrongly but he should have entered into right lane, then what should this user do??
Well the answer is very simple, let him do a circular route. i.e, assume I'm coming from the Sanjanrao circle road(RT:36), and I should go to shanthinagar. But, I mistakely enter to the left lane after minerva. So, the solution is, I should go further little and take left near the signal and again next left so as to touch Minerva Signal. By this way, there wouldn't be any traffic jams.
So, the above principle or logic holds good every where to avoid pile up.
b) Hudson Church Signal to Mysore Bank Signal ( Total no. of lanes available presently 5)
Procedure
The right and left lane for the LMV's.
The center 3 lanes for the HTV's.
c) Bommanahalli Signal to E-city Signal( Lanes available : 2 lanes in service road, 3 lanes in main road.)
Procedure
The service roads needs to be made one way and allot to LMV's.
The first 2 lanes of the Main road from left to right needs to be allotted for the HTV's.
The rightmost lane of the Main road to the LMV's.
The same in reverse side too(E-city to Bommanhalli).
Well, now many will question, where should the BMTC/KSRTC/VOLVO's stop???
The buses should and need to stop to the left of the BUS lane only. I have the clear picture on papers but I couldn't put down here as I'm not good computer artist.
I can present that in any meeting. Also I can justify why we need two-tier signalling system on lane system roads.
This will not cost more as compared to the BRTS.
Even in this mode/system the buses will move faster as that in the BRTS.
The only disadvantage I could sense of BRTS or my system is that if any vechile Breaks down we need a tow away as soon as possible to reduce the pile up. So I thought of placing tow aways at major junctions on lane system roads.
Please give your feedback and quires. I will be happy to answer as I'm short of time. Will continue with this.
Forward this Blog entry
Comments
allow minibuses too
Bangalore has many minibuses and TT tempo travellers. Even this can be allowed in this lane. Only that should be banned are LMVs. Or another idea is to allow yellow board vehicles in middle lane and all private vehicles on rest of the road. But problem is it is difficult to educate people and buses have to stop in left in bus stops.
will defeat the purpose
Letting HTV's on the BRT lane would defeat the whole purpose. HTV's move slowly and inturn slow down the Bus. No where one can find HTV's moving on BRT lane. BRT is for encouraging people to move on to public transport more and more which should lead to higher frequency of Buses. If the Bus frequency is less , they can start with one lane to begin on a particular Road.
BUS lane system.........
Shashi,
As per your Procedure to implement BUS lane system for the roads below you have suggested the center lanes for the HTV's.
a) Minerva Signal to Town Hall Signal ( Total no. lanes available presently 4)
b) Hudson Church Signal to Mysore Bank Signal ( Total no. of lanes available presently 5)
I have seen the BUS lane system in the UK which is mostly in the left most lane for BUS STOPS or else they would be criss crossing the lanes to STOP.
One advantage i definetly see of BUS lane system is that the travel by buses will become much faster and i suppose encouraging people to switch to the public transport rather than travel on their own .(just thinking loud i could be wrong).
Regards,
Imran.
reply
@rockstar
Definetly, we can allow only the mini buses. We need to allow only the public transport and goods in center lane.
As per your idea of allowing the yellow board in center/HTV lane, then it also includes the autos and cabs. So, my idea is to allow only the HTV.
Minibuses are considered as HTV's.
@j_venu
Though it feels that it will defeat the concept of BRTS, but in this idea the investment is very less as compared to the BRTS.
Next is, land procurement is more in the case of BRTS hence the high cost
But, as you say regarding the speed, the speed will be approx same in BRTS and in my case too.
Look at the lane utilisation factor sir. One lane for buses is very very very impossible. Becuse if the bus breaks down then, every thing is gone for toss.
Sir, you say allowing HTV's will defeat the BRTS purpose, but tell me do you see regular plying of HTV's inside the City that too during the peak hours in the roads mentioned in the article.
I know and also mentioned that no where in the world HTV's are allowed in the BUS lane. I don't want the copy, paste to happen in bangalore. We have seen many failures of copy, paste method.
@ imran
Sir, in my concept or idea, there is no criss crossing issue at all. The bus stops will be to the left of bus lane only. I can convey the concept in a live show rather online. This idea is of 2 yrs old with lots of modification and closed it now.
At the roads mentioned above by you, sir on those roads we need two-tier signalling to avoid criss crossing.
Well let me again inform, this concept can't be applied on all roads. We need to change some sections so to suit that area and road.
Breakdowns of HTVs
Shashi, as many suggested, HTVs with imported Trucks will be on par with Buses in terms of speed. But not the Indian Trucks. Also, the break downs of Trucks and Private Buses are too high due to poor maintenance. This will block the entire BRT lane blocking thousands of people using BRT.
Coming to accidents front, mostly 2 wheelers are impacted heavily. They suffer physical injuries which sometimes becomes fatal. Car drivers, especially cabbies are totally careless about 2 wheelers and go very close to them leading to fatal accidents which are not much reported by media. If on the other hand a BMTC related accident is given lots of hype. Many 2 wheeler drivers are also reckless and they never watch mirror to see what is coming behind them,especially youth who have migrated from rural places to Bangalore (Please do not mistake me, this is my observation). They ride 2 wheelers in a zig zag manner inviting accidents themselves.
If we consider 3 lane ORR, what if we have 1/2 or even less than 1/2 lane as 2 wheeler and cycle lane. 1 1/2 lane for 4 wheelers including HTVs and LMVs and 1 Bus Lane in each direction. As you said, the HTVs are minimum, so they can mix up with 4 wheelers. Since they will be travelling in the same direction, not in opposite directions, even an impact of HTV to LMV will be less as compared to HTV or LMV to a 2 wheeler / bicycle.
Service Lane on ORR is not properly used. They allow vehicles in either directions which is supposed to be 1 way leaving no place for pedestrains to walk. This should be strictly made 1 way with good pavements, walk paths and trees to give shelter.
@sashikumarY
Do go thru some of the bus priority discussions on this site... a lot of thought has gone into that already
Before going into major plans and BRTS, BPS & this one..
Before we talk about any good plans for bus priority lane, BRTS or any other plans suggested in this thread, there is no point unless we can either make the drivers (public and private both) or enforce the rules in them. Whatever plan we propose and lets say govt implement it, but what's the surity it will be actually as we planned it to be.
I mean, who will manage the lane system, who will make sure that drivers are following there lanes, and who will enforce the rules, and how the violators be penalised?
So, first thing is we need to put that into plan, I mean, I am not talking pessimistically, its just that we are very bad in enforcing rules, that's the problem with any of the good plans in the system.
On the ORR, already its mentioned that HTV shouldn't drive on rightmost lanes, but I always see them driving in the rightmost lanes on the ORR, always. I never saw anyone stopping them, teaching them, enforcing rules on them or penalizing them.
I see autos are consistently violating all the rules about "to hire", "more than meter", and "tampered meter" or any such issues but who is penalizing them, I would say, who is listening the complain, let alone penalize.
I see all the buses stopping at any place where they want, mostly just after the signal, blocking the intersection, many times, crossing the red signal, who is stopping them to follow rules, who? Noone... First we should get that into place.
I see all the private cars and cabs parked just below the "No Parking" Sign, I think that many people understand those No-Parking signs as parking signs.. and thus how much farther you make the roads wider, the left most lanes are mostly occupied by these cabs, private cars and people waiting for buses at the bus-stops, who is enforcing rules on them, who? Noone..
I am not saying that we should't plan what we are doing, but that should go in background and most importantly in the foreground, we should first step in to make sure that whatever rules are there, there is proper awareness and people should themeselves obey, and if not, proper enforcement mechanism in place and also the non-corrupt penalizing mechanism.
in between streches...?
I fully agree that we need solution localized to our conditions and cant just copy/paste.
coming back to your idea , once you make special lane , even other "public" transport people (Private buses , Car Poolers , Autos, Private cabbies ) would logically demand access to this lane . my suggestion of a single lane (based on traffic/frequency) was based on the assumption that there is NO physical barrier. In case of Accidental breakdown , All Traffic can still move on to the other lanes.
In my experience and as mentioned by Vasanth i have seen more HTV breakdowns than Bus Break downs. Even if have two lanes it is not sufficient as Traffic Piles up.
i have experienced this pile up many times (not frequent ) on the Hebbal Flyover mostly caused mostly by HTV's. Note : there may not be high HTV frequency but one break down could cause lot of issues... In your idea do you plan to have physical barrier separating the lanes ? Do you have rough estimate of numbers public transport vs private transport on this strech ?
Also I believe that the plan should for the entire strech or else in between streches will be Chaotic. for eg. Enforce lane discipline from Minerva to Town hall and then again Hudson to SBM what would happen between Townhall to Hudson and later say SBM to KBS ? How should the traffic move here and how will they get back to their respective lanes ?