The Vasantnagar-headquartered Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) is inviting all Bengalureans to take part in a survey that we would share with city planners on how best to offer first and last mile connectivity to public transport. Will they have to be monorails, a plan mooted earlier? Or mini buses run by BMTC? Or increasing the bike and cycle rentals around bus and train stations? The alternatives are many.
Go ahead, take part in this survey. It will take a few minutes of your time, but by doing this, you will not only be helping yourself but also the future generation. Because what we ideate today gets done much later. The future is now. Take charge of it now. Click this B.PAC survey link and answer the questionnaire.
Remember, B.PAC is a non-governmental organisation patronised by city luminaries like Kiran Mazumdar, Charu Sharma, Prasad Bidapa, Prakash Belawadi, Nisha Millet, Harish Bijoor, RK Misra, and K Jairaj, among others.
Much to everyone’s relief, work on the Koramangala-Ejipura flyover has resumed after BBMP cleared the contractor’s bills.
The work on the flyover had stoped for a few months as the bill was not paid by the civic agency. However, with the new government and new BBMP commissioner BH Anil Kumar, all pending works are being expedited. One such project was this flyover.
Announcing this move, BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar also tweeted that “a strict directive has been issued to complete work by engaging more workers. Hon’ble MLA @RLR_BTM has acknowledged for resolving the same”. We do hope that MLA Ramalinga Reddy does his bit to expedite this.
The absense of illegal speedbreakers, and the absence of white stripes on both legal and illegal humps across Bengaluru is a nightmare to vehicle users, particularly at night. And this happens on ultra-busy thoroughfares like Outer Ring Road. While the Traffic Engineering (TEC) department of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanaragara Palike (BBMP) blamed the lack of funds earlier, now they are promising to paint the stripes after they are done with zebra crossings at major intersections across the city.
“We will finish the work within 15 days in all the arterial and sub arterial roads,” says Praveen Lingaiah, Executive Engineer (TEC), BBMP. “We are in touch with the traffic police, and will fix the speedbreakers whose stripes have also worn off due to the rains.”
Regarding speedbreakers on 30 feet roads in residential areas, Praveen clarified that they are not taken up by the TEC. “You have to check the department that laid the road as they are responsible for painting the speedbreakers… we are only involved with high density corridors and roads that are usually bus routes. We are also not responsible for fixing illegal speedbreakers as those are generally done by the residents themselves in an unscientific manner that is more dangerous than beneficial.”
According to BBMP officials, many speedbreakers requested by the residents are uncalled for. “Just because there is one accident, the residents demand a speedbreaker,” said one official. “This is quite dangerous, particularly on busy roads as that will lead to traffic slowdown.”
The officials also pointed out that the speedbreakers that lack the white stripes are usually not done by the BBMP, and even if they are, the rains usually play spoilsport. “These speedbreakers are back-breaking,” said one BBMP official himself. “But the lack of proper funds and supervision, and the lackadaisical attitude of TEC officials are responsible for the current mess. The residents and the media have to continue pressuring the BBMP to take action.”
When BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar was apprised of the matter, he said the aggrieved citizens should file a formal complaint on the BBMP Sahaya app with the right geo-location. However, the residents complain that most of their online requests don’t get resolved, and dubbed the app as a major sham. Therefore, we hope that this media report should galvanise the authorities to prioritise the demolition of illegal speedbreakers, paint the legal humps, and erect speedbreakers where required.
November 10 is the deadline for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to rid the city of potholes, and there are about 15,000 of them, according to the civic agency’s estimates.
Thanks to a Karnataka High Court order a while ago, the BBMP had fixed many potholes in HSR Layout, Indiranagar, Koramangala, Whitefield and other neighbourhoods of Bangalore. However, those very roads and a few others have developed craters again. Either the rains are too harsh or the work was sub-standard.
For reasons of transparency in public works, the BBMP also put up its report on potholes in the public domain. This was again due to the order of the High Court. However, if you view them today, you will realise that Bengaluru neighbourhoods are relatively pothole-free. Only certain roads are marked for ‘road resurfacing required’. The others are spotlessly clean, according to the civic officials. When we accessed this BBMP link again, that page had vanished into a pothole too. The pothole page did not exist anymore. It could be resuscitated anytime, so we have attached the link for you to check it later.
The rains played spoilsport again, and the roads have thrown up the ugly truth about BBMP contractors and the shoddy way they work. Then again, it’s the corrupt system. How can a road contractor win a tender at the lowest sum possible, and then remit a portion of it towards bribes to different people, and work with the remaining amount and still make a profit? That’s the crorepati question no one wants to answer. The last time, one political party tried to answer that is today confined to just one metro and trying to deal with the ‘world’s most polluted capital’ moniker.
And yes, if you have injured yourself due to a pothole, the Karnataka High Court has ruled that you can directly approach the BBMP for compensation.
So how can you help, dear reader? Just download the BBMP Sahaaya app and upload pictures of gaping potholes with the exact coordinates. In addition, WhatsApp us (+919880585748) as well. If they stand out from the rest, we will even dedicate a story on the ‘most potholed roads’ in your neighbourhood.
In addition, you can contact BBMP and the BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar (Facebook & Twitter) in the following ways:
Most accident-prone roads of HSR Layout. Well, actually, most happen to be junctions as people from different ends are always in a hurry to get from Point A to Point B. The result is an unfortunate accident. Which is why, a former traffic inspector in HSR Layout prevented these frequent head-on and side collisions by creating deviations.
We are talking about three killer junctions: The 17th Cross-24th main junction, 22nd Cross-19th Main junction and the 17th Cross-19th Main junction. Some residents loved the idea and the others didn’t. Some riders, allegedly under the influence of some stimulant broke the median several times at Nandini Cooljoint junction (which itself is illegal, by the way). Most of these run-ins happened late into the night. To cut a long story short, the deviations remained, and have been so for over a year now. Unfortunately, there are people who violate the one-way rules, but most behave because they can’t get into one-ways when there is oncoming traffic.
Have the number of accidents come down because of this? Yes, definitely, atleast at these junctions. But elsewhere, the killers are still free. And they happen to be motorcycle users, bus drivers, auto drivers and the very famous water tanker drivers.
The other killer roads/junctions are as follows:
9th Main-Outer Ring Road (ORR) Junction
The other day, a biker injured a pedestrian who was trying to crossover from the HSR side of ORR to the other. The way to cross any busy road is actually simple, but people either lack patience or don’t know how signals work. You just have to wait till the vehicle users are almost nil on either side before you cross the road. Does this really happen? Yes, it does. When the signals go red on either side. Just try it the next time you are crossing any road, big or small. Just don’t try to squeeze through vehicles because someone behind such vehicles might not see you suddenly coming into view and hitting you head-on. Crossing here is still a nightmare for some, and therefore, a skywalk was being constructed before the IMA scam surfaced and the work is back to square one. The reasoning? IMA was the major sponsor of the skywalk. Who should answer to this? Both the MLAs: Ramalinga Reddy of BTM constituency because one side of the road belongs to him, and he inaugurated the skywalk. Sathish Reddy of Bommanahalli constituency as the other side of the road belongs to him, and he inaugurated the skywalk before R Reddy.
5th Main-ORR Junction
Be very careful out here, whether you are a pedestrian or a two-wheeler rider. Many accidents have taken place at this junction and near this junction. People have been injured grievously and some have even died due to collisions both from front and back.
ORR-BMTC Bus Depot Junction
Many accidents have happened here, on both sides of ORR. The other day, a speeding BMTC bus hit a rider from behind and caused him severe head injuries. Many have died on their way to the hospitals after an accident at this junction.
19th Main-ORR Petrol Bunk Junction
The other day, a bike rider was hit by a rash auto driver when he turned the wrong way without warning. Some time ago, one elderly bus passenger died at this junction on ORR when the BMTC bus driver hit the breaks and caused her to lunge forward. Her chest had hit the metal bar in front of her as she was suddenly pushed forward due to inertia.
5th Main-17th Cross Junction
Many accidents have occurred when fast moving vehicles try to get on from both sides of this road. Though most of the injuries were not grievous, this is yet another junction that both riders and pedestrians should be careful about.
What Should You Do To Avoid Becoming A Statistic?
The cops suggest that the pedestrians should try and use as much of the footpaths as possible.
And when there are no footpaths, they should stick to the edge of the road. Importantly, always walk on the right side of a busy road, so you can see oncoming traffic. If you are a rider, always go slow at any junction. Think there are speeding vehicles coming from all sides at the junction. Slow down, it will save your life and your parents will bless us for saving your life with just this one tip.
Many on ORR have happened at late nights and early mornings. This is the time when people ride rashly. Some are drunk drivers and some are half-asleep. Therefore, whenever you step out to walk, jog or ride and drive, watch every direction before crossing the junction. No traffic does not mean a speeding rash driver will not make a sudden appearance.
The logo of the upcoming Bus Priority Lane project of BMTCThe route map of the Bus Priority Lane project from Byappanahalli to Central Silk Board
On November 1, Bellanduru Jothege, a citizen action group is organising a meet-up between the public and the officials of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). This is the most apt day because on this very day, the Bus Priority Lane (BPL) project will also begin from Byappanahalli and Central Silk Board. What this means is that the left side of Outer Ring Road will now only be meant for ambulances and BMTC buses. This is to almost halve the travel time between these destinations. They are introducing 45 buses specifically on this route towards this objective.
At the citizen meet earlier, several Bangaloreans were happy with this out-of-the-box thinking. While some suggested the central lane of ORR for the bus lanes as those were future-marked for the Bus Rapid Transit System. However, since BRTS is not yet on the government’s radar and it requires much planning and funds, the left lanes were chosen to kickstart the project. Already, trials were conducted on ORR near Marathahalli. If this is successful, the plan will be replicated and further improvised on 11 other busy roads.
To discuss this and several other initiatives, residents of Bellandur, HSR Layout, Sarjapur Road, Kasavanahalli, Somasundrapalya, Hosapalya, Kudlu and surroundings areas can show up on November 1 at the BMTC depot off 19th Main in Sector 4, HSR Layout.
Titled “BMTCConnect @ BMTC Depo” in HSR, the idea is also to better understand the BMTC operations, offer suggestions for improvement, and also give away awards and gifts to the best drivers (that the manager chooses). As Bellandur Jothige spokesperson says, “The idea is more of a gesture from our side to show how much we care and like to support them, especially in the wake of BMTC’s new initiatives around BPL and Nimbus.”
Mark your calender. It’s November 1 at 10am at HSR Layout’s BMTC Depot, opposite Agara Lake, off 19th Main.
BBMP is ready for the rains with Prahari, their mobile jeep equipped with everything they need to remove uprooted trees, and pump out water.
Prahari is an emergency response vehicle of the BBMP, and there are six at different points in the city, like Bommanahalli and Mahadevapura that receive the most complaints due to rain. From tree-cutters and pickaxes to ladders, electric saws, ropes and pumps, the six Praharis are at your service.
In addition, BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar is particularly cautioning riders. “I request all motorists, especially 2-wheeler riders, to ride carefully,” he has tweeted. “Road rage is no answer to slow traffic movement due to rains. Don’t ride on footpaths.”
Call BBMP Control Room at 080-22221181, 22975595, 22100031 & 22100032 for assistance.
Days after the residents had petitioned the Deputy Chief Minister to sanction a skywalk in front of Mantri Sarovar apartments on Outer Ring Road, it is now known that the BBMP had already called for short-term tenders for 39 skywalks across the city. And it includes the one that the residents demanded in Sector 4. The proposed skywalks will be on a ‘design, build, finance, operate and transfer’ (DBFOT) basis for a concession period of 30 years.
Interestingly, when the residents raised this issue in front of the Deputy CM, both the local corporator and MLA were unaware of the BBMP tender announcement in the papers two months ago. This goes to show the extent of cluelessness that our elected representatives possess.
In any case, it’s a good thing that the long-awaited skywalk will soon come up in the area, complete with escalators and staircases. The idea was abandoned with the announcement of the Metro. However, now that the Metro is going to take many more years, the skywalk has been sanctioned. In addition, there are ways to let both the skywalk and the upcoming Metro co-exist. It’s just the height and alignment of the metro and skywalk.
Now the residents want to know when the skywalk in Sector 5 will come up. This is the planned one at the end of the BDA flyover on Outer Ring Road. The project hit a hump when IMA scam surfaced as they were the primary sponsors of the skywalk.
Cycle Day completed five years last Sunday. While the event stopped in April 2019 due to new legal requirements, the video above is a chronicle of the events in the past.
However, Cycle Day can now happen in every Sector of HSR Layout. In the new format, the organisers require a partnership with an NGO or RWA to conduct future events.
If anybody is interested, they can Whatsapp Shashidhar Kumaraswamy at 99720-20900. “If all RWAs come forward, we can have a Cycle Day every Sunday in their locality,” he says.
A three-year project will come to fruition tomorrow when public cycle parking will be thrown open to residents at 18 places across HSR Layout. The reason for the delay was the civic works being carried out by the BBMP and the flooding issue that enveloped the neighbourhood in the interim.
Be there tomorrow for the inauguration
“It’s a very unique project based on multiple themes unlike any other in the world,” says Shashidhara K of HSR Cyclists Group that won the Neighbourhood Improvement Program challenge in December 2015 that helped create this facility.
Says resident and cyclist Sankar: “It took a long time to realise the project. Running between DULT (Department of Urban Land Transport) and BBMP for paper work and approvals. Hats off to Shashidhar for patiently working towards realising the project.”
Along the way, there were certain changes done to the project. The original plan was to facilitate parallel parking of cycles. But later, it was changed to linear parking as it would cause least inconvenience to pedestrians and the handle bars will not come in the way of movement. “There were 20 spots identified, but two had to be dropped near HSR Club and Mantri Square due to lack of pedestrian walkways,” says Shashidhara.
The majority of the cycling parking spots can be found on 27th Main, 17th Cross, 19th Main, and Agara bus stand. “There is space for 18 cycles at Agara,” says Shashidhara. “The number can go up if private parties decide to come here as well, after they take the requisite approval from the BBMP.”
HSR Layout can be a study in contrasts. If the footpaths are good, the encroachments take away their beauty. If the roads are wider, triple parking narrows them down anyway. If the roads are well tarred, the lorries use them as parking lots. If the footpaths are cleaner, the errands and passerbys dump garbage and uglify them. In such a scenario, another interesting story has reared its disconcerting head.
The state government recently announced many more bus bays in the city next year. In HSR Layout, there are two of them in Sector 2 at KPTCL junction on 27th Main Road opposite Rockview bar and restaurant. None of the buses have a stop there. It appears like two white elephants being put to no use. Says resident Lalithamba BV: “There is not a single bus on this route. Who is accountable? It’s a waste of public money! Atleast can BMTC should extend their feeder services up till here?”
So what have these bus stands become? Well, they have become a place to people watch and have food as this picture suggests. It’s the problem of plenty in HSR Layout, where there are many bus shelters but not many buses.
That’s not all. At the 14th Main bus stand opposite BDA Complex, buses do come, but the bus shelter has no seats. We had reported it earlier, but no action is taken by the BBMP yet.
