Calling all Bangaloreans - HAL & BIAL airports: A survey by R K Mishra

[menonrajesh]

This surely is for a genuine cause and hope you would be able to spend sometime reading this. This is initiated by Mr. R K Misra who is the founder of SAHAYOG, a Public Private Partnership Initiative and who is the finalist of TOI LEAD INDIA campaign.

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A Request from R K MISRA – SAHYOG – A Public Private Partnership Initiative

Dear Friends,

As we are getting closer to the opening date of New International Airport – BIAL, on 30th March, the realization of inadequate infrastructure and impending chaos is making all of us very nervous. I m also part of the High Powered Task force Set-up by the Governor to suggest and implement short and medium term measures.

I have attended these meetings and I am extremely concerned with the preparedness of the bureaucracy in terms of adequate infrastructure and management of traffic. It is going to be a chaos and we will take anywhere from 2-3 hours to reach BIAL from South and South East of Bangalore. I plan to do this survey to get to know the public opinion and their concerns on this matter. Based on this survey, I plan to take necessary step to find viable solutions including keeping HAL airport function, till adequate and affordable infrastructure is provided for all to reach the airport in around one hour.

So please send the above REQUEST along with the LINK below to your employees, industry associations and friends' organizations, who would be affected by this shift to the BIAL. They need to click on the link below to complete the survey

Devanahalli Airport Survey

Regards,
R K Misra
Founder Trustee
SAHYOG
A Public Private Partnership Initiative

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MODS, Please relocate / remove the post if found at a wrong place.

Regards
Rajesh Menon

[vnabhi]

Shucks, why does'nt someone start a thread like this for Hyderabad?

[snaronikar]

Wow. R K Misra will change the face of Bangalore for sure. If this survey has to be taken and if Governer okays the most of the queries of survey, then RKM will be a big hit here for sure.

He can take up many more jobs like this.

@menonrajesh: Thanks for sharing this. I have already taken the survey.

[maddy42]

Actually cant they use the domestic terminus for smaller aircrafts like the low cost once and the BIAL for the larger aircrafts. This will have some healthy competition and also will somewhat reduce if not solve the problems.
Btw has anyone thought of it. Electronic city falls on the hosur side of town while the BIal is on the exact opposite side of it!!
So a person who thinks of travelling from any of these 2 places to the other will be welcoomed to blr very well!!

[Prithvi]

Do you guys think our wonderful government is going to listen to us if we also want the HAL airport to be kept open to???????????

I wish for an India where we can vote our President, Politicians have a retirement age of 55, people following traffic rules, etc

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Actually cant they use the domestic terminus for smaller aircrafts like the low cost once and the BIAL for the larger aircrafts

Yeah with a 600 buck user fee for domestic passengers, budget travel wont really be cheaper if its out of the new airport. Imagine paying Rs.500 for your ticket and Rs.600 for the use of the airport!

The rest of the concerns arent really valid. When the KL airport moved from Subang Jaya to Sepang (which is 70+ kms away from the city) there were similar questions. But they moved anyway, and nobody knows of the old KL airport anymore.

If we wait to answer every question before we make a move, we will NEVER progress. The airport, when ready, should be used. Underutilization will make it an economic failure.

Yes people will have to start travelling a bit more, yes the roads may take a while to catch up, but you have to force that change.

We had similar questions when the old Naval Airport in Cochin was shut down and all operations moved to the new airport 30 kms away. Today, 8 years after the airport was opened and 3 years after the airport usage fee of Rs.300 per international passenger was revoked (after the airport turned profits for 3 years continuously), people use the airport happily, the roads and other infrastructure around it has developed and nobody thinks of the Naval airport which used to be conveniently almost in the centre of town.

[snaronikar]

Originally Posted by Prithvi

Do you guys think our wonderful government is going to listen to us if we also want the HAL airport to be kept open to???????????

Hope, my friend, is the big word (in meaning) and we all hope that this HAL airport will not get closed at least till the infrastructure thing sis solved by our govt.

[w 12]

The agreement with BIAL , specifically mentions that HAL airport will be closed for civilians, once the new one is operational.

The economics of the new airport are based on this assumption.

Changing the terms of a signed agreement , just to suit some sections of society is totally unprofessional.

Those who want to travel by air, will leave early and travel more to reach the airport. Those who think it is not worth it will make alternate arrangements.

[amohit]

i am also of the opinion that HAL airport should be closed...
Our "govt" had many yrs to decide abt the connecting roads etc..nothing has happened till now, and nothing will happen unless pressurized. though, everyone will be highly inconvenienced for a few months, but in greater good of bangalore, HAL airport should close down.

Regards,

[kvish]

As a nation we are used to performing only under desperation. Look at CNG in Delhi, when it was implemented it was just chaos and very few filling stations added to the mess. A while later things got sorted out. Same with potholes in Bangalore, only after all the biggies had wars against the govt something really transpired.
After a lot of hungama something will come out of it and my guess is that the center themselves may take over the connectivity aspect.
Lets face it, these BIAL guys have a legal agreement and they will go to court if its not adhered to. These surveys may be of little use.

Personally, I feel that BIAL should budge for operating flights at specific times in HAL airport till the expressway is built. Something like flights between 7-9am and 9-11pm to very specific short distance flights like Chennai, Mangalore, cochin etc where it doesnt make sense to lose so much time. Others I am afraid will have no option but to bear with the extra time.

One thing for sure, 3-6 months after opening, there will be strike in front of BIAL airport trumpet exchange demanding better connectivity. Blocking vehicles, stoning people and finally things will start moving.

[finneyp]

I feel HAL Airport can used for Domestic flights and BIAL for International flights!

But if BIAL Co. has a agreement that all flights will be operated from BIAL once it is open, then above will not happen!
Thank heavens BIAL was managed by a private consortium, hence it will be ready on time & the Airport will be at par with other International airports.

The State Govt couldn't even build a 30 kms dedicated road/expressway though the new Airport work started some 3 - 4 years back!

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

But they moved anyway, and nobody knows of the old KL airport anymore.

If we wait to answer every question before we make a move, we will NEVER progress. The airport, when ready, should be used. Underutilization will make it an economic failure.

Absolutely correct.

Does ANYONE think of castigating and throwing out the lovely ministers who have been sitting on their rearsides all this while? We all want quality service, multi billion dollar world class airports, superb experience, but the ticket, Rs 500 wonlee, thankoo. And when we pay like rs 20-30 toll for a few km of road, why not a few hundred (just the right amount mind you) for a better air gateway. :-)

That being said, the government should've thought about it while giving it for bidding. Now BIAL gets the flak when its the govt whose not delivered. plus I firmly think Mr RK Misra is completely milking public opinion for just his own publicity ends. He's NO different from a politician trying to make the most mileage of this bad situation (I can only imagine the nightmare since I'm well versed with the situation).

How is this Misra or any other opportunistic scumbag any better?

Let's read the survey: rhetoric and more rhetoric. He doesn't propose anything remarkable. I mean, it doesn't need a (survey) monkey to tell people that the average man WILL be horribly inconvenienced given tht connectivity isnt solved, and NO ONE wants to pay enhanced airport charges for horrible flight experience.

Plus the solution proposed:
Wait till the road comes up. Nice on paper. However, the expressway on which work *will* start in december 08 will get finished in 4 maybe 5 years. Maybe he hasnt even bothered to research a single airport rail/bus transit system before launching this "survey". Again, the thought process is simply crabbish. And yes, let BIAL go bankrupt in the meanwhile and public money (debt from our own banks) turn into dust. Instead, even MSN proposes better stuff - short haul (think chennai/coimby) flights out of HAL, long range (mum/del/kol/intl) out of BIAL(like finney says)

ofc, I shudder to think of the impact on industry - IT firms would be significantly disadvantaged. For a one hour meeting in BLR, people would just spend hours flying in, commuting, and then commuting back. Impacts business like bad.

Coming back. The survey doesnt help build thoughtful constructive opinion. We all can make that short survey. Pretty paltry coming from a LEAD India finalist.

@kvish: Exactly. Learning curve costs, or teething pains. But with such administration, these pains may last tooo long.

That being said, I'm surprised the government isn't talking of running more buses instead of the 40 volvos. I'd actually say more like 100 force travellers (not that either would move in koramangala traffic!). When the govt hasnt delivered on its job, the least it can do is organize better public transport.

[ajmat]

Frankly, let BIAL commence, govt see the pain then act. That is what happened in Cochin, now it is no big deal. Retaining HAL is like sweeping issues under the carpet

[Mayavi]

How many of SAHYOG's members are AAI employees grumbling about losing their cush public sector jobs to a private company where they have to put in an honest day's work?

[v1p3r]

Stupid goverment just sits around on their hands and then wrings them when all else fails. Like Brunner said, "Did they expect me to not complete it on time?" Now watch the fun.

Originally Posted by phamilyman

How is this Misra or any other opportunistic scumbag any better?

Knowing Misra personally, though I can't say I like him, I do know he puts his money where his mouth is. I wouldn't like to call him a scumbag, and he DOES have a point of view. Why should regular flying Joe have to trundle till Devanahalli because the government is stupid?

The simple answer is, because Joe voted for the stupid government. That's the joy of democracy. Idiocy of the people, by the people, for the people.