NH7 to BIAL - A sea change

I have been traveling on the NH7 to BIAL for the past 1 year and decided to make this post on how my experience has changed since May 2008.  It is also a tribute to the Bangalore Traffic Police's efforts to make the commute a safer one.  We often have nothing but the harshest words for our bureaucrats (and I am no exception), but we need to give them their due when they do a good job and most of us don't do it often. 

I have been using BIAL very very regularly for the past 1 year.  I was in fact on the Singapore Airlines morning flight that landed on May 24,2008.  Over the past 1 year I have seen a sea change in the traffic on this road.  And I suspect we have the BTP to thank for this. 

Back when the airport started in May 2008, the road was an absolute mess.  Mess is a kind word to describe what was happening there.  There were no lights on the road.  No traffic signals even at busy junctions.  People used to drive at speeds close to 140-150 kmph.  In the first 2-3 months alone, 50-60 pedestrians died trying to cross the road.  Lots of other bad accidents.  I had plans to take my car and park it at BIAL if I had a day flight.  My first few taxi rides put paid to any such plan.  I just wanted to get back alive. 

We even had a meeting with Mr.Sood and he promised that things would change (not that the promise was made because we met him).  He said that traffic lights would come up, speed checks would happen, no parking would be enforced.  He has been pretty much true to his word.

Over the last 3-4 months, I just cannot believe that this is the same road.  Cars stop (99% of them) at lights even at 10:30 p.m.  They drive in lanes!!!  Speeding is down (even MERU seems to drive more sedately).  The odd car and bus do go fast.  But I no longer see that mad honking and speeding that was the norm.  Even more miraculous - people no longer instantly press the horn when the light turns green.   Out of 25 or 30 cars waiting - I have heard maybe 1 or 2 pressing their horn lightly.  Sometimes none - correct NOT ONE.

Is everything right.  Cars still dont line up at lights.  Some drive on the road shoulder at the lights and wait.  I don't know if the pelican lights are respected.  And I dont know how well peopel behave at 6:30 p.m.  The lights don't work at 5:30 a.m. and even if they do people tend to give them less respect on the way to the airport.  I don't see the speed cameras anymore.

But it has been a huge improvement.  Hats off to BTP for this.  Goes to show what a committed set of people can do even in Bangalore traffic.  I hope they replicate this slowly on other roads inside the city. 

Srivathsa