Will you support a PIL against BBMP & BMTC or GoK transport ministry?

Are you pained by mobility situation in Bangalore, and think that it has not improved or worsened during last 5 years? If yes, then would you read below and answer these two questions?

1. Do you see any merit in such a PIL (below)? Will we be able to gather hard evidence to support it?
2. Next, would you be willing to pitch in and fund the legal costs of running this PIL (below)?

Speaking for Praja RAAG. we have been doing our bit of constructive advocacy. We talked about Metro feeders in 2009, we were shown good looking plans. We have been at Namma Railu (Commuter Rail), but progress is not very encouraging. We talked non motorized transportation, did see some progress, but in pockets. We talked Bus Priority System, the concept is moving in some form, but not at the scale and pace at which it can realize its potential. We keep bringing up the poor quality of bus stands and bus to bus interchanges (remember the hall of shame spots?) but still don't know who is responsible. We seeded Bus Day, which has turned into a good marketing initiative for BMTC for sure, but with no real changes on basic demands of printed schedules, passenger information system, amenities and grievance redressal systems.

Other civic groups and individuals who have been at similar constructive initiatives would also agree to this, That in all of these, while there tends to be a little progress here and there, one thing stands out. We DO NOT know who is responsible for ensuring safe mobility, in expected time frames, with adequate equality. We DO NOT know who is responsible for reporting on whether all these government entities combined are helping to improve mobility in the city. Forget a single agency to report on mobility indicators, even BMTC doesn't publish them. Revenue, passengers carried etc are NOT mobility indicators.

Some one has got to be responsible from the government side for things that usually fall between BMTC, BMRC, BBMP Traffic Police and BDA. We ought to know if there is a grand plan where all the flyovers, new JNNURM Buses, swanky Metro traiins fit in. If there is none, then let the fact be placed openly by state government so that we can then start saying NO to all new transportation investments. If there is indeed one, then let GoK appoint some existing or new agency to measure and report progress on the plan. And this progress must be reported in terms of outcome - Marathahalli to Magadi, Bommasandra to Peenya, Harohalli to Nagwara and such - and not in terms of projects status.

Unless we get clear about what rights we have to our to mobility, this endless trail of investments will continue without any clear outcomes and responsibility of outcomes.

Now, for the PIL (this is NOT about privatization as such,not in direct ways, basics about accountability and "service" come first), the structure of letter to the High Court could be like this:

Bus stands and Bus interchanges

• How many bus stands exist in the city, and who maintains them?
• Why are there no bus stands and safe pedestrian walkways between the bus stands at Marathahalli, KR Puram, Hebbal Flyover, Domlur Flyover etc?
• Why are there no skywalks for pedestrians to cross over at these crowded interchanges? Who decides when and where to put the skywalks?

Profit motive and viability

• BMTC is on record - "Feeders, Last mile shuttles are not viable". Does BMTC's charter include any clause about viability?
• If BMTC considers anything to be un-viable, what steps has it taken to consider claims off private parties who are willing to take the risk to make it viable?
• For agencies like BMTC and BMRC, has anyone outside of state government done an audit to ensure that the revenue and expenditures they incur are efficient and in line with the charter they are incorporated with?
• What are the standards of corporate governence for monopolistic public agencies incorporated by the state government? Who is auditing the agencies against these standards? Is this auditing agency again owned by government?

Return on investments

• All mobility investments in last 5 years, totals. Any measurement on the benefit they have brought in?
• Who is responsible for reporting on the benefits brought by these investments?

Transport planning related studies

• Who is responsible for integrated study and planning to make our mobility safer and reliable?
• How many such studies have been done? How many of these have been inputs to investments made in last 5 years?

Let us carefuly list 20-30 items on above lines with the criteria that they should have clear evidence - pictures, numbers or hard facts. We can't send a letter to high court with rhetorics and ideologies. The basic structure of letter could be like this

• We are suffering due to poor quality of mobility - lack of safety, and standards of time.
• There is inequality (focus is roads and cars, those who can't afford cars have a disadvantage)
• Money is being invested to make it better, for last 10 years
• We don't know who is answerable for the investments - or if they have helped improve the quality and remove the inequality
• There are examples where there is lack of clear ownership - bus stands, bus interchanges, last mile mobility, commuter railways, Metro feeders etc
• So, dear High Court, please help us us the following
  • If someone is answerable and is tracking how the standards of mobility are improving, would you tell us who that agency or ministry is?
  • Would you request this agency or ministry to report every quarter on mobility indicators that tell us directly about service parameters such as time, safety and inequality.
  • If such an agency doesn't exist, please tell us why any mass transportation mobility investments should continue?
  • If state government or the said agency expresses its 'inability' to either report on progress of mobility indicators, or take accountability for progress of mobility indicators, would you instruct the government to setup a regulatory authority who could work on the said 'inability'

Okay, I am probably getting a little techical now, but let me end with the question for all readers

1. Do you see any merit in such a PIL? Will we be able to gather hard evidence to support it?
2. Next, would you be willing to pitch in and fund the legal costs of running this PIL?

[will edit later to correct typos etc]