Cycling and walking are difficult not just because of poor planning. It is also because of the mindset that only those who move in a car have status and road rights. Anyone who walks or cycles is considered poor, wretched and destined to be marginalised, if not obliterated. - - - This is what must change. We have no option but to reinvent mobility - - - we have no option but to think about restraining the growth of cars. Learn how to move people, not cars. - - -Every time there is an attempt to convert a part of the road into a cycle track, the proposal is virulently opposed. The argument is that it cannot be done because it will take away space from cars and will add to congestion. But that is exactly what we need to do - reduce lanes for cars and add space for buses, cycles and pedestrians. This is the only way to get out of the ever-growing car bulge on roads.
For the full text of the essay by Ms Sunita Narain (from her hospital bed) in the Business Standard, click here.
This message has to go out to the citizens loudly, clearly and repeatedly.
Muralidhar Rao
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similar talk from Dr Badami
Click on the link below to listen to the talk on Landscapes of Mobility by Dr Madhav G. Badami, PhD, School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal
http://aap.cornell.edu/events/nano/video/nano-symposium-panel-2.mp4
Dr Badami has close linkages with IIM, Bangalore.
This is what Mayor of Bogota Enriquie Penalosa says:
We need to claim space from cars to Buses and Bicycles which is opposed severely.
Enrique Penalosa is considered as one of the most successful mayors in the world and worldwide he has appreciation for having transformed Bogota.
more from Penalosa
http://www.ted.com/talks/enrique_penalosa_why_buses_represent_democracy_in_action.html
sexing up bus services
Undoubtedly, the bus has a dominant role to play in future urban transport modes, But, the question that arises is "is BRTS suitable for Bengaluru?". Well, I am not sure about that, particularly since we don't have road-widths to accommodate such needs, not even on our outer-ring road. Besides, we are now developing the Metro for the inner city, and Namma Railu to connect the outlying townships.
A major point that Mr Penalosa makes is that car users don't view bus services as "sexy" enough to want to make the switch to using them. A far more cost-effective answer to that would be to adopt the "bus priority system", like in London, with professional private players (like TVS) operating the services, rather than government monopolies like BMTC (the point I have been making here). The sexiness of the Volvo itself has already converted enough well-to-do techies to swith to using them, and if the professional players come on, even the suited-booted lot will willingly join them.
Simultaneously, you can have the slightly less sexy Tata/ Leyland buses for the aam aadmi, but equally efficiently operated by the professional players. And, since this will not require the fanciful and expensive infrastructure associated with BRTS, the operational costs can be a lot cheaper, and thereby inclusive, addressing the short-comings pointed out in this study (of JanMarg)
Re:SEXING UP BUS SERVICES
A far more cost-effective answer to that would be to adopt the "bus priority system", like in London, with professional private players (like TVS) operating the services, rather than government monopolies like BMTC (the point I have been making here). The sexiness of the Volvo itself has already converted enough well-to-do techies to swith to using them, and if the professional players come on, even the suited-booted lot will willingly join them.
Murali Sir, only for sometime, sexing up will attract more passengers. After that, if someone is struck in traffic for hours, nothing will attract.
As I quoted earlier, if private buses could reduce travel time, say from Jayadeva to Silkboard in peak hours to less than 10 minutes, or say from Byappanahalli to KR Puram Railway station in less than 10 minutes, people would opt for it. It doesn't make difference if it is Government or Private. Already we have buses 500Cs, 500Ds and 335Es at a frequency less than 5 minutes. If there was shortage of buses, privatization would have helped out. But despite of such high frequency, travel time has not decreased. Unless we have dedicated bus lanes, it would be not possible to achieve whatever the debate maybe, it is the fact
ITDP would not have set Gold,Silver and Bronze Standard BRTS documents, they would have simply said privatize your buses and forget the traffic of your city.
You are saying Come and Claim the road and on the other hand you are not in favour of BRTS which is contradictory to each other.
not the right solution
@ Vasanth - we have gone through all of that already - here.
Besides, after all the huge spend on the infrastructure required for a BRT operation (as also the hardships to people because of the dislocation caused), if it continues to be operated by the government-run monopoly that is the BMTC, the only beneficiaries will be some contractors.
Beyond that, I have nothing more to add.
Re: NOT THE RIGHT SOLUTION
@Murali, Since BRTS is dedicated lanes, people will not hesitate to invite private operators to operate. That is what has been done in Ahmedabad, everything is carriage contract with bus specifications provided by Government. So, in BRTS routes we don't have to restrict only to BMTC buses, especially for only BRTS routes.
People have reservations on non-BRTS routes due to negligent and rash drivings of private operators. If they could do disciplined driving, then people would come out of their reservations.