If powers that be are determined to reopen HAL airport for commercial operations, whether for full fledged operations or limited, connectivity and access issues must be fixed first. I am voting here for a "Connectivity and Access First, Airport Later" campaign. Here are some high level items that should get addressed before the airport resumes its commercial operations.
Connectivity:
- Signal free entry and exit from the airport without any hindrance from private vehicles going to/from airport
- Preference and priority for public transport services (Vajra or Suwarna)
- No drop in and pickup facility for private vehicles, except by Shuttle service to the private vehicle parking lots.
- All roads leading to airport to be provided with lane marking, ped Xings, safe and right locations for bus stops.
- Strict enforcement of lane and traffic signal discipline - 24/7
- BMTC/private public transport that would take not more than 45 minutes to reach airport from farthest corner of city (which as claimed takes 3-4 hrs to reach BIAL).
- Ample lanes for Bus drop off / pickups
- Parking facilities for passenger, employees, contractors, airport vendors at a close by distance.
- Parking facilities for Taxis, Cabs etc.
- Shuttle service to these parking lots for to/from airport
I am sure experts here on Praja would have an indepth suggestions with micro details. I am opening this thread for larger discussion and action plans. Without action plan and things on ground, discussing things may not be that fruitful.
[PS: post edited to add a picture, photos make posts a bit lively, thats all {blr_editor}]
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Shift HAL to Dobbspet / Nelamangala / Tumkur
I'm in favour of HAL Airport reopening, but this time, HAL should not derive economic benefits out of that. HAL used the airport as a "cash cow" and never concentrated on it's original goal, viz, development of civilian aircrafts.
HAL can be moved lock, stock and barrel out of Bengaluru to places like Tumkur / Nelamangala or Dobbspet. I will write to the district in charge minister, Shri P Venkatramanappa about this.
Why should HAL derive benefits out of milking the airport when HAL was not meant to do that in the first place??
Or even Shimoga can be a good place
Remembering HAL entry mess
There were few plusses with BIAL. The distance although is more and results in high fuel usage as well as the introduction of Aiprot Charges which has made it unattractive, the drop off area, shuttle area and the parking area is organized. The distance was like an indirect tolling and people are reluctant to use private cars and that has taken out the mess that HAL add.
If at all if HAL is started, private vehicles will recreate the mess. If tolling is introduced from entrance till airport, even then lot many will take drop on the Airport road. Again, the messy city taxis and autos.
Mandya / Mysore good Candidate
if that can happen ...
There is so much scope for developing HAL airport - lot of space constraints go, plus you get airport entry options from ORR side, and perhaps south side as well.
This is a tougher thing to expect or pull off though. On level below from this would be to work at two levels on current airport
Airport arrival/dearture area
Airport traffic plan
The IRR connectivity option:Two possibilities
Can do this type of thing from ORR as well. Will try a picture later.
Map out all roads leading to HAL airport !
SB,
Continuing from your post, lets map all roads leading towards HAL airport from all sides of the city. This mapping with lane markings, ped Xings, bust stops at right places could be part of engagements with Praveen Sood, BMTC and BBMP.
My suggestion would be 2 fold.
As a first step, can some body mark all roads that lead to airport within 5 Km radius?
P.S> Being out of country for last few years, I think I am little out of touch with present traffic scenario in B'lore, beyond IndiraNagar, Koramangala etc.
Syed.
Media.........
On the eve of BIAL getting operational, media had gone gaga over connectivity to BIAL. They went to extent that they took pains to take an actual trip to airport and reported the naunces of airport journey. Some reports were in line with todays actual trip to BIAL and some were way off-mark. But still it served purpose to warn the public about the precautions they need to take for the airport ride etc.
With HAL-Reopening buzzword is spreading like wildfire, I am hoping that media would do the justice again by reporting the pleasures of journey to the airport in city. This time to HAL airport. Also hoping that our "Open HAL" campaign friends would help bangalore with field trip reports on connectivity to HAL airport. I am sure the reports will be balanced and true to the actual facts on ground. Also it would be interesting to see how far governing powers would help the general public with hassle free tarvel to HAL airport.
Connectivity non-issue
I dont understand this connectivity to BIA issue. The kind of distances we are talking about is nothing to be concerned about. A growing city is bound to have infrastructure spread out. We have to get away from thinking Bangalore exists around MG road. It was when we were a small town. Bangalore and its impact is spread from Bidadi to Kolar from Devanahalli to Attibele. San Francisco wants to be our sister city because we have an impact that reaches there. What we need is massive build outs in infrastructure. East-West, North-South. Spread the crowd around and they will let you cycle in CBD in peace. Please visit infrastructure in NCR and Bombay/Gujarat. The same companies dont hesitate travelling 60KMS from Greater Noida to IGI/Domestic airport in NCR because the infrastructure makes it worth it. We have to buy larger pants because we are growing and not a child anymore. We may restrict waistline going from 34 to 40 but we cant remain a size 10. We are mistaking growth to be bloat.
Back to Sq. one!
When all the efforts are being made to de-congest the Central Business area, reopening of HAL is gonna reverse or undo all these efforts. I liked Vasanth's idea of having an airport in Mandya. This is gonna boost the Industrial development in that area and also in Mysore.
The need of the hour is clarity of thoughts from the politicians.Decongest the Central Biz area, encourage suburbs, improve connectivity to remote areas and improve the last-mile connectivity. In this light, i find the idea mooted to have a 45storey building at Majestic to be too foolish.
Time to re-open this thread