Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by rohanak1

I fail to understand why this has not been done on the newly laid Whitefield road. I do not understand why these things have no importance in India.

Well it took them 2 or 3 years to mark ORR. Newly laid roads have to wait.

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

No one respects the cops in Bangalore. That is the harsh reality.

Why the police in Bangalore get no respect?

[NPV]

Another unusually quick drive to work this morning.
Tin factory had no cops and choc-a-bloc traffic all the way till K R Puram Railway station-ORR junction taking 22 minutes and the rest of the drive via Hoodi and Big Bazaar junctions took 18 more minutes for a 40 minute drive
2 Large container trucks were parked near the Railway underpass causing slow moving traffic and a cop had just arrived and was looking for the truckers who weren't around.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Why the police in Bangalore get no respect?

Having lived in Chennai and Bangalore, I can say with surety that the cops in Chennai are far more tough than their counterparts in Bangalore. Here I have seen people argue with the cops while coming down the wrong side on a one way road.
Coming back to the bommanahalli junction, almost every day I see the cops taking photos of the autos that are parked in the NO PARKING zone, chasing them away. The moment the cop goes away from the spot, it is all back to square one.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Having lived in Chennai and Bangalore, I can say with surety that the cops in Chennai are far more tough than their counterparts in Bangalore.

Purely my personal opinion based on what I have seen for over the years. Bangalore has been traditionally a laid back city. People are generally mild, and kind of follows the "live and let live" policy. May be during the earlier years every one had their own share of "space" in this city, and so every one went on happily. This has been now shattered, and things are going from bad to worse. But perhaps the real "man kills man" kind of life style has still not reached the levels of the local population here. Chennai (like Mumbai) has been a metro city for ages, and generally is more "business" like.

The lethargic/slow life style may also have affected the police culture in the city, and they generally just do the bare minimum and carry on with their lives. And any major drives etc. requires real push from the higher ups. Police in TN generally are just the opposite. Off course low level corruption etc. is there, but they all get very uppity when their authority gets challenged. I feel they strongly believe in the policy that, in an area there can only be one rowdy - and ideally he should be the local police sub inspector.

In rural areas (i.e out side the Bangalore city limits) policing again is a hit & miss case. Night patrols and beats are pretty much non-existent. You also would not see the superior officers (i.e Inspectors and above) actually being on the streets/roads.

PS: The only folks who have some similar clout seems to be the lawyer associations in TN .

[rohanak1]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

This time around, post this point till tin factory was a free run. A slightly faster run today at fifty minutes.

From KR puram station junction all the way till tin factory bus stop, the way to avoid traffic is to be on the left of the road. That keeps moving. You get stuck in the right lanes and it will take much longer.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by rohanak1

From KR puram station junction all the way till tin factory bus stop, the way to avoid traffic is to be on the left of the road. That keeps moving. You get stuck in the right lanes and it will take much longer.

Provided the theory that the 'lane I am in, moves the slowest', whichever lane it is, does not hold good for that stretch.

[paragsachania]

You could have simply had a look at this thread Bangalore Traffic Police. Instead, you have engaged a Private Firm to come up with their findings from the 5 days experiment that you executed during the Investors Summit:

Answer to traffic woes from investors' meet experiment?

Cops engage pvt firm to study impact of 5-day vehicle ban

Naveen Menezes

Bengaluru: Having experimented with several measures, including one-ways, to reduce traffic congestion in the City, the traffic police are now studying the impact of the recent five-day ban that was imposed on private buses and goods vehicles during the Invest Karnataka event.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M A Saleem told Deccan Herald that the department had engaged a private consultant to study the impact of this ban.

"We are expecting a detailed report next week. This study would help us work on the future course of action, particularly to reduce traffic congestion," he said, and added that the study would also look at the extent of air pollution.

Restricting small trucks?

Asked if this meant there would be curbs on the entry of small trucks during peak hours into the City like it is being done for heavy goods vehicles, Transport Commissioner Rame Gowda said, "There are no plans to restrict the entry of light motor vehicles to the City. It needs greater consultations and the State government's nod."

Gowda said a ban on the entry of heavy goods vehicles, excluding those carrying essential commodities, is already in place during peak hours. Of the over 55 lakh vehicles in the City, there are about 80,000 registered heavy goods vehicles and about 11 lakh light motor vehicles of which 25,000 are small trucks.

Urban expert V Ravichander felt that restricting the entry of small trucks into the City during peak hours would be a better solution for traffic congestion than banning private buses.

"By banning the entry of private buses, passengers were put to a lot of hardships. However, restricting the entry of small vehicles is quite feasible, if finding night workers to unload goods is possible," he said and hastened to add that it was not a permanent solution. "The State government should develop enough infrastructure to encourage use of public transport," he said.

President of the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners' and Agents' Association G N Shanmugappa said they suffered a loss of Rs 300 crore due to the ban of goods vehicles in the City. "It's not democratic. We face a shortage of labour in the night to unload goods. Even shops are closed. Who will buy our commodities? This will ultimately result in an increase in prices."

Traffic engineering expert Sreehari M N feels the solution for reducing traffic congestion is simple. "Why can't the State government ban roadside parking? The capacity of the road is reduced by 60 per cent due to parking on both sides. While every building is planned with parking space, it is being used for other purposes. The rule should be: Road for vehicles and footpath for pedestrians,"

says Sreehari.

Link to the Article from Deccan Herald

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

You could have simply had a look at this thread Bangalore Traffic Police. Instead, you have engaged a Private Firm to come up with their findings from the 5 days experiment that you executed during the Investors Summit:



Link to the Article from Deccan Herald

Instead of coming up with impractical solutions like ban road side parking, its high time the govt starts thinking of developing suburban railway network.
Develop Heelalige and Bellandur railway stations, set up a station close to Manyata tech Park, develop Whitefield station as the hub for all local trains to start. All this could have been done earlier.

[dass]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

You could have simply had a look at this thread Bangalore Traffic Police. Instead, you have engaged a Private Firm to come up with their findings from the 5 days experiment that you executed during the Investors Summit:

well.... this thread is FREE information, the PVT consultant would be 'paying' for being given the opportunity to tell them what we have been saying for few years now.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Purely my personal opinion based on what I have seen for over the years. Bangalore has been traditionally a laid back city. People are generally mild, and kind of follows the "live and let live" policy.

Funny only the police are the generally mild and follow live and let live policy whereas the Auto Drivers, Cab Drivers, Water Tanker Drivers, BMTC Bus Drivers all from the same city are baying for your blood.

What you say is an absolute contradiction. Somehow only the police are relaxed and have a mild attitude and everybody else does not.

At Bommanhalli signal, I saw this helmetless guy, talking on the mobile standing right in the middle of the road yelling at the middle aged constable when he asked him not to enter the wrong side.

Couple of days back saw the same police guy receiving money from an out of state truck at the same signal. When the loyalty is for money, self-esteem does not matter.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Funny only the police are the generally mild and follow live and let live policy whereas the Auto Drivers, Cab Drivers, Water Tanker Drivers, BMTC Bus Drivers all from the same city are baying for your blood.

These group of people generally have a slightly "reformed behaviour" when their own local folks are at the opposite side. But if you do not look like a local, or cannot speak the local language with ease then you are toast. But I do agree with your point that, the police may be even docile with the local folks as well. Generally I try to get a trend of arrests which a state police makes from other states. Have not come across many such cases in KA. TN and (KL) police forces regularly come hunting for their criminals, pick their men from here and go. That kind of "go getter" style, I feel is not seen here.

When the loyalty is for money, self-esteem does not matter.

TN Police also takes money. But the difference is that they have a "cut off" limit for their tolerance. Once that limit is crossed; mainly if the police man is humiliated or beaten up; which brings down the police authority figure then the whole situation gets changed. Then no money is going to save the backside of the civilian.

[Chetan_Rao]

Funny incident with BTP, though I wonder if it'd stayed funny if I didn't know the local language.

The better half and I were out on a scooter a few months ago, and this traffic cop suddenly beckons me to stop aside. I haven't jumped a signal, we're both wearing helmets and haven't broken any rules, so I'm surprised. The following conversation happens in Kannada:

Traffic Cop: "Yaaro neenu" (Who are you)?
Me: "Yaaru andre?" (What do you mean?)
TC: <surprised>"Local?"
Me: "Houdu."(Yes.)
TC: "Yaavuru"? (What place?)
Me: "Yaake? Davangere". (Why? I'm from Davangere.)
Him: "Yaarivalu"? (Who's She?)
Me: "Wife".

He tries to speak to her at this point, she doesn't know Kannada beyond everyday words/short phrases and says as much.

Me: Avalige Kannada baralla sarige (She doesn't know Kannada very well).
TC: Ibbru local ansalla. Neenu bili, Mrs. inna bili (Oh. Neither of you look local. You're so fair, she's even fairer.)
Me: <no idea where this is going>. Yenaaru problem idiya Saar? (Is there a problem?)
TC: Yenilla. License idiya? (Nothing. Have a license)?

I show him my license and he waves me off, commenting to his partner: "local kano, Kannada maatadtaane, bili madam kooda (local, speaks Kannada, even the fair madam)".

I wonder what happens to fair looking folks who are non-locals and can't speak the language.

[G-BoleroBoy]

I wonder, why people consider driving on shoulder is normal or their birth right on nice road with vehicles speeding upwards of 80 kmph. BTW, posted speed limit on NICE road is 120 (between Bannerghatta and Hosur road). Even multiple cars with team-bhp stickers overtake from left on shoulder.

[JD1]

Originally Posted by G-BoleroBoy

I wonder, why people consider driving on shoulder is normal or their birth right on nice road with vehicles speeding upwards of 80 kmph. BTW, posted speed limit on NICE road is 120 (between Bannerghatta and Hosur road). Even multiple cars with team-bhp stickers overtake from left on shoulder.

Those pathetically slow moving trucks occupying both lanes leaving no road and only frustration for car drivers who have to drive at half or quarter speed. It is extremely frustrating - I endured this on my way to Mysore (so between Hosur rd and Mysore rd exit) but held myself and did not use shoulder lane even though many others were using it as overtaking lane. On my return, another round of same frustration. Those truck guys won't move at all in the left lanes even if those lanes are empty. Finally I broke my own driving principles and started using shoulder lane to overtake them on my return journey. (remember the journey was precluded by driving close to 3 hours on Mysore road!). So that's my reason for the one time when I used NICE road.
And you will see many such drivers - trucks, tempos, gas cylinder delivery small tempos, tractors, coconut carrying tempos who will shamelessly occupy fast lane of ORR driving at speed of 10-20 kmph. Really do not understand why they are reluctant to drive on left lanes. Most of the breakdown vehicles that I have spotted also happen to be in rightmost lanes!

[rohanak1]

These days cops are standing at the KEB receiving station near Hoodi on Whitefield road and stopping bikers where the pillion is not wearing a helmet. Today he signals a biker to stop. The pillion sitting behind shows that she is holding the helmet and he lets them go. How lame and pathetic. I go a little ahead and see 3 guys on a bike, none of them wearing helmets. I am sure they hoodwinked the cops and escaped.

Originally Posted by JD1

Those pathetically slow moving trucks occupying both lanes leaving no road and only frustration for car drivers who have to drive at half or quarter speed. It is extremely frustrating.

This is very common everywhere. Truckers are always sticking to right lanes with their slow speeds. Another trucker tries to them overtake this truck at ridiculously low speeds causing a pile up on highways. This gets extremely frustrating uphill especially. These days there are people crossing NICE road as well. I wonder where they have to go. I see people standing with luggage waiting for transport. Not sure if NICE road allows stopping.

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Funny incident with BTP, though I wonder if it'd stayed funny if I didn't know the local language.

Had a funny incident few years back with BTP. Ended up paying 100 rupees with no challan. While returning from the airport, I was in the middle of an intersection when the signal turned RED (this was when the elevated road was getting constructed). I believe this is ok and I have right of way but still get pulled over by a constable with his boss at a distance. The actual conversation happens in Kannada. So here it goes

Constable: This is not Mysore (sees the KA09 registration). This is International Airport road of Bangalore. What do you think? You can jump signals?
Me: I did not jump it. It turned red when I was in the middle.
Constable: You did. Now show me your license. (I promptly present my license to him).
Constable: (Looks around for a while) give me Rs. 100 and don't repeat this
I pay him the money and drive away.