[menonrajesh]

I see this survey just as a tool to air the public opinion. Now its purpose is debatable since it is initiated by R K Misra, who happens to be the finalist of Lead India Campaign. Having said that, IF ( and that is a big IF) the data collected can be used in a contructive way, putting the government under pressure to come up with the commutation plans to BIAL without loosing any more time, I would welcome his initiative. Afterall, I have not seen any media which has taken up a public survey till date or a platform which is designed for citizen to air their grievance on the trouble they will face to reach BIAL.We all know and agree the problems, but still a public statement can be made.

Now, coming back to the situation we have at hand, as @Steeroid rightly put, only two points need immediate attention: User Fee and the better and faster connectivity to BIAL. If public opinion can make a difference to this in a better way, it would be the best thing to happen. I may be sounding too optimistic, but I gain nothing by being on the other side.

[srishiva]

How regularly a regular joe flies by air ? The old airport was far off for many of Bangaloreans. The Electronic City bosses need the one nearer to them operational.

What were they doing all this time since the agreement is not a new one.

They should instead try to speed up the expressway being planned for the new airport. Didn't they succeed in getting an elevated road over the existing the Hosur road ?

There are lot of airports all over the world where the travel time to the airport is an hour even with best of roads.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by menonrajesh

I see this survey just as a tool to air the public opinion. Now its purpose is debatable since it is initiated by R K Misra, who happens to be the finalist of Lead India Campaign. Having said that, IF ( and that is a big IF) the data collected can be used in a contructive way, putting the government under pressure to come up with the commutation plans to BIAL without loosing any more time, I would welcome his initiative.

Kindly intimate how does clicked data actually replace true studies on the ground? Also, it is a VERY superficial survey - and is one sided. It doesn't really ask the question: If things work out in three years, and BIAL really is an airport worth making Blooru proud, would you pay?

Which is the point Steer makes.

This survey is just a waste of EVERYONE's time.

Originally Posted by v1p3r

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?

Idiocy of the people, by the people, for the people.

agree to the last line.

ok, misra might be a nice guy, but the survey doesn't help formulate/catalyze a debate, and proposed enlightened solutions. If he has the standing that the intro claims, then this is a VERY SORRY output from him - the survey doesn't acknowledge that govt has failed, or that creative in between solutions are feasible. It is plain that it'll end up with data saying that 90% of people will travel from IT City/koramangala and take 3+ hours to reach. But, having wasted time of thousands, is it not something everyone ALREADY knows? Heck, even his mail says so. Where is his THOUGHT LEADERSHIP? Lead India or Survey India?

And if after attending all these meetings, he has nothing to show - what will the collected data show? Mind you, the bureaucrats are NOT stupid. They know their job. As do the politicians. They've seen it coming. Its not like no one is unaware, and in a dream world of their own.

[menonrajesh]

Clicked data= Public opinion - nothing more;nothing less.

Agree that the survey is not conclusive to cover the entire aspect of the issue and it could have been framed better. But we have a situation and we are just trying to find a way out. Thats all!

I opted for:
1)Reducing the user fee
2)Closing HAL Airport in any case once BIAL is opened.
I am not sure if my voting will make any difference, but thought of giving a try in whatever way I can - Its just HOPE; you see

Cheers!

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by srishiva

The old airport was far off for many of Bangaloreans. The Electronic City bosses need the one nearer to them operational.

You mean BIAL is closer to Electronics City?!

Originally Posted by phamilyman

ok, misra might be a nice guy, but the survey doesn't help formulate/catalyze a debate, and proposed enlightened solutions. If he has the standing that the intro claims, then this is a VERY SORRY output from him - the survey doesn't acknowledge that govt has failed, or that creative in between solutions are feasible. It is plain that it'll end up with data saying that 90% of people will travel from IT City/koramangala and take 3+ hours to reach. But, having wasted time of thousands, is it not something everyone ALREADY knows? Heck, even his mail says so. Where is his THOUGHT LEADERSHIP? Lead India or Survey India?

And if after attending all these meetings, he has nothing to show - what will the collected data show? Mind you, the bureaucrats are NOT stupid. They know their job. As do the politicians. They've seen it coming. Its not like no one is unaware, and in a dream world of their own.

No, I don't think Misra is a nice guy. But I've seen him work, and transform roads that were like moonscape into nice 4 laners, with lighting and medians. So to that end, he does more than you, me, or any old humble farmer.

If bureaucrats and politicians did know their job, we wouldn't be in the sorry state we are today.

[androdev]

The goal of Times Of India is world domination! There is nothing I hate more than ToI. It represents the degradation of our Indian culture in all its glory!

[finneyp]

Agree with you Andro!

I stopped TOI long back, thankfully we have papers like The Hindu, Deccan Herald etc.

[Joz]

You can't get somebody to develop an airport spending 2000 crore and then decide that you don't want it because it is far. The developers are not here for charity. The only way forward would be to develop the connecting infrastructure ASAP.

About Mr. Misra, I guess he has done more than you and me. So I give him credit for that. Beyond that I have no clue.

[kousik]

Originally Posted by menonrajesh

I opted for:
1)Reducing the user fee

It depends on the service you're going to get. Question is, whether it is value for money. Without knowing the service, it is difficult to say if 600+ bucks is too high or reasonable. Today if Bangalore airport charges me 200/- I think it is on the higher side; I have to hunt for a trolley, stand in security check queue for half an hour, then don't get a place to sit in lounge, use dirty toilets, don't get water to drink ...

Kousik

[tsk1979]

Isn't all this some kind of scam by people to get their popularity so that they can enter politics later, or make money through sms.

This survey has no legal binding(no surveys do), and no matter how much hue an cry a few net savvy people raise, in the end govt will do what it plans to do.
the motive here is not to get some action done, or improvement. Thats not going to happen at this stage, no matter how many surveys happen.
What will definitely happen is
1. Popularity of this guy will go up
2. He can open some NGO to make money then or enter politics
3. Times of India will print full page banners and create lots of hype to increase circulation.

Its like that big fat page3 party, where socialites get together sip martini and they say "oooh, look at those poor suffering people begging on the roads".

This lead india thing etc., is also a large scape page 3 party, and end aim is to make money via sms, just like Nach Baliye.

[Vid6639]

If you close down HAL and have all flights from the new airport, you are more or less removing the BLR Chennai sector. Noone will take the flight by driving down to the airpor for 2 hours reporting 1 hour earlier and then reaching another 45 mins later. That's as good as driving it up. Even other short routes will be affected.

On the other hand if you do keep HAL open that is one leeway to the government to delay the road work for teh new airport.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Isn't all this some kind of scam by people to get their popularity so that they can enter politics later, or make money through sms.
...
...
What will definitely happen is
1. Popularity of this guy will go up
2. He can open some NGO to make money then or enter politics

I'm thinking this amounts to character assassination now. Let me try and point out a few facts.

As a person, RK Misra is enormously irritating. He is self-important, self-centred, and egotistical.

As a do-gooder, I have not seen anyone do much better. He pretty much single-handedly prodded the government into cleaning up the Airport-Whitefield stretch of road, which is part of BLR's golden IT corridor. Parts of it used to resemble some remote lunar outpost, and you spent precious time placing wheels on the shoulder to avoid rocks and potholes. Today that road is world-class, except for the stupid speed-bumps after the Volvo incident. He also put a sizeable amount of his own money into this endeavour. Misra also galvanised some residents into rescuing a lake that was beginning to resemble a garbage dump. He was on a lot of PPP and citizen committees way before this TOI thing came along.

Since he sold Tenet, and is known to worth in excess of Rs 100 crore, I don't think starting an NGO to scam money is top on his list of things to do. He pays for a lot of those ads, SMSs, and flyers from his own personal wealth.

I humbly suggest that all those who can see only a half-empty glass and never pass up an opportunity for cynicism either start doing or shut up and let those who do, do.

[zenx]

I do not think its an HAL vs BIAL debate. Its more about keeping BIAL alive for certain sectors (esp short haul) and early morning/late night domestic flights for day trips. For most other trips the extra 1-1.5 hrs is ok. For a quick flight to Coimbatore or Chennai or even Mangalore, its probably not - I'd rather drive

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

I'm thinking this amounts to character assassination now. Let me try and point out a few facts.

As a person, RK Misra is enormously irritating. He is self-important, self-centred, and egotistical.

As a do-gooder, I have not seen anyone do much better. He pretty much single-handedly prodded the government into cleaning up the Airport-Whitefield stretch of road, which is part of BLR's golden IT corridor. Parts of it used to resemble some remote lunar outpost, and you spent precious time placing wheels on the shoulder to avoid rocks and potholes. Today that road is world-class, except for the stupid speed-bumps after the Volvo incident. He also put a sizeable amount of his own money into this endeavour. Misra also galvanised some residents into rescuing a lake that was beginning to resemble a garbage dump. He was on a lot of PPP and citizen committees way before this TOI thing came along.

Since he sold Tenet, and is known to worth in excess of Rs 100 crore, I don't think starting an NGO to scam money is top on his list of things to do. He pays for a lot of those ads, SMSs, and flyers from his own personal wealth.

I humbly suggest that all those who can see only a half-empty glass and never pass up an opportunity for cynicism either start doing or shut up and let those who do, do.

Nope, read my post again.
These Lead India guys are being sponsored by a corporate entity(TOI) and winning means big for them.
When people vote for these guys they pay upto 6rs for that sms vote.
This makes it all commercial.
What he did in the past is immaterial in this context. Right now its the race to "Lead India" and no different from Nach Baliye

If the sms voting was free, then I would think there is some credibility to the whole thing, otherwise its a gimmik to make people send sms.

Where will that sms money go, to advertisers of course, and the sponsors, and the corporate entities involved.

As for "doing or shut up thing" well making a survey is not doing anything.
I am not attacking what he did in the past, nor do I care two hoots about his personality, all I care is this gimmick where voting is a tool to collect money.

In competitions like big boss etc., there are no claims about improving stuff etc., its entertainment value, but this thing is turning out to be the biggest con.
People in India already vote to elect their leaders. Just because this vote is 6rs its more valuable?

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

When people vote for these guys they pay upto 6rs for that sms vote.

I think we could debate on who exactly is the 'winner' in an SMS vote. Particularly in India where the Mobile Operator typically keeps upto 85-90% of the money.

Apart from that, track record does count - so we really cannot say that whatever he's done in the past (I'm not aware of anything he may have done, am going by v1p3r's post) does really count.

By the way, was there a mention of an SMS campaign?