Blogs

While flipping through the papers today, I noticed this KRDCL tender inviting bids (link here) for some interesting things that included road side traffic sign boards (Rs 2.7 crores), cat eyes (57.7 lakhs), hazard blinkers, movable cones, barricades and more - all in all about Rs 5 crore worth of stuff. Not a lot of money, but lets keep watching for these traffic management equipment to appear.

I still remember the sign board BDA had put up onsite when construction began on Marathahhali bridge (here). Start 30-4-2006, finish 30-7-2006. Were they kidding - 3 months, thats it? Anyway. dates moved, fast forward to January 2008, and the word going around is that we may get the full six lane bridge done in a few weeks.

Traffic is one thing and Public Transport another. Traffic is about moving vehicles, public transport people. Something like BTRAC is aimed at traffic management - wider roads, flyovers, signals an stuff. Enforcement on roads, how to drive etc are also more like traffic topics. Getting to know and discuss the upcoming BMLTA, tracking BMTC's efforts to enhance its services, and watching BMLTA, BMTC and Metro all work together to create public transport infrastructure - all this needs a dedicated 'forum' of its own.

So, we have created a new high level project (see the list under "track projects') for the purpose. We expect that folks like Mr Muralidhar Rao, Sudhir, Vasanth, City.zen and others would contribute their awareness, knowledge and opinions there. Use the "Public Transport" label if you want your posts/threads to appear under this 'project'.

Next time you think of littering on Kempe Gowda Road, M G Road, Cubbon Road or Commercial Street, look out for one of the sixty litter cops in special uniforms belonging to retired army man, BN Nandukumar's Major Territorial Army.
Depending on whether you are “Misusing water meant for drinking, urinating in public, throwing garbage around, spitting/expectorating and allowing pet animals to mess around" you will be slapped with on the spot fines ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1000. They will also issue show-cause notice to shopkeepers as well as individuals who do not abide by rules.

Not that BBMP doesn't care for pedestrians. They have been talking about motorized sky walks for sometime now, and earlier this week, a BBMP tender showed up with plans for sky walks all around the city - 56 of them, and with escalators!

"These sky walks are proposed with attractive escalators of adequate capacity on both sides of the road which shall facilitate the vertical movement of the users for climbing as well alighting purposes"

As I said, the fancy skywalk talk isn't new. Earlier this year, BBMP had plans for 30 "capsule lift" based sky walks, refer this tender dated 12th Feb 2007:

Before I start on a long rant with my reactions, thoughts and ideas, tell me this. How should one react or behave on seeing things like these? And what should change to prevent these drivers from resorting to these shortcuts?

CTTP has all the details for improving transport facilities in Bengaluru through various options. While the Metro / Mono take their own sweet time for completion, making use of the existing railway network on a limited scale on a few routes can be an immediate solution. I understand that the railway lines cover only a certain portion of the city, and local train transport with feeder bus services will have a great impact for that portions. The Kengeri-Whitefield route can be a pilot route as it is already an electrified double track. With the BMTC & private industrial managements, including software tech parks providing feeder services from their respective places to the nearest terminals, this can be a very effective solution in the immediate future. Our daily traffic situation is only growing worser day-by-day and i believe if this is implemented in a small way, our city can become better.