[etrast75]

This whole bus priority was bound to fail anyway you look at it. It was poorly thought out, ill conceived program done by a bunch of people who have no idea of reality of traffic in bangalore.
Everyone in the world, bus lanes work only if they are implemented on the fast lane. Only in india will someone think that let us put a bus priority lane on the slow lane and make it work.
Today morning, near akme harmony apts in ORR, a poor BMTC fellow was waving traffic off the left lane only for the vehicles to move out the left lane temporarily and then join back.
It is just not practical.. I drive regularly on the stretch between HSR and bellandur and I try my level best to keep off the left lane but it is just not possible especially if the traffic comes to a standstill. As long as traffic is moving at steady pace, one can try but once it slows down, every cab, auto and TT guys just moves to the left lane and chokes that lane. I pity the 2 wheelers who are sometime forced to drive in the center lane and be at the mercy of the cab fellows and auto fellows.
This idea is bound to fail and I anticipate that after a couple of months, they will abandon this quietly and we will be left with some yellow marking and red road surfaces and money down the drain

[Sunil2307]

Originally Posted by etrast75

Everyone in the world, bus lanes work only if they are implemented on the fast lane. Only in india will someone think that let us put a bus priority lane on the slow lane and make it work.

They tried that in Delhi. It was called BRT. Everyone knows how that ended up.
Putting the bus lane on the extreme right comes with its own set of challenges. Bus lane in extreme right means the bus stop has to be in the median. How do the passengers get off the bus stop now which is in the median?

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Talking about bus priority lane, here is what Deccan Herald has captured. Quite nicely sums up the practical problems that this halfbaked idea faces. You can even see a near collision at one point.

The bollards idea was utterly stupid and were removed after sense prevailed. There are many unanswered questions and nobody is bothered to answer. Also note that the DH report was on Oct 21st, almost a month back and there was no awareness.

Awareness and enforcement is the key if at all this need to succeed.

[etrast75]

Originally Posted by bejoy

Awareness and enforcement is the key if at all this need to succeed.

Sorry to say this but no amount of awareness and enforcement will make this work. We are a society which has no sense of traffic discipline to even adhere to basic traffic norms like traffic signals and one ways. Expecting our road users to leave a lane empty is just foolish.

This is a half baked idea cooked up by babudom and politicians to show the gullible masses that they are doing something to solve the traffic mess they created with no urban planning.

Apart from adherence, there are also practical difficulties. IF you are driving on ORR and suddenly your vehicle develops a snag, what will you do? Stop in the middle lane. Who is going to police the outstation buses which pickup passengers all along the ORR? We all know who owns these buses and no police is going to dare touch them. What happens to people from outside bangalore, especially truck drivers, who have no clue that there is a bus lane and just see some yellow stripes on the road?

yes, it is difficult to put dedicated bus lanes on right side but it is not impossible. Ahmedabad , I believe, has done it for a short stretch by building skywalks across from bus stops in the medians.

We have just become accustomed to mediocrity and half baked ideas when it comes to mass public transport and hope against hope that something will work. I have had many people tell me "give it a chance" without taking into account the sheer absurdity of the idea.

The only chance for ORR is metro but I dread the day when they start cosntruction.

[Jaguar]

Today I set a personal speed record in Bangalore, 950mph, that is meters, not miles. I had the misfortune of going to the VR mall in Whitefield. Getting out of the mall was another story. I am guessing Eagles got the inspiration for Hotel California after visiting this mall.

[speedmiester]

Avoid all roads around Electronic City RTO and near Hulimavu Lake.
Hulimavu lake has been breached and has flooded the road leading from Hulimavu to BTM 4th Stage.
Breach was due to BBMP's negligence when working on the banks.

[SoumenD]

Folks using ORR, did you notice any change today in traffic movement? I guess the priority bus lane fines are to be implemented from today or is it Dec 1st?

Am a regular quick ride user(both as a rider and passenger). With bus lanes clearly marked and off-limits for personal vehicles, I think this(quickride) won't be feasible anymore if one needs to get down around Kadubisenahalli(Oracle & all) or around WellsFargo area?

[audioholic]

Can anyone share what is the situation with the bus lane near Marathahalli Underpass? Especially at the point where many long distance buses would have parked to one side and choking the direction towards silk board? Also, if the bus lane has sorted out the issues of randomly parked vehicles along the ORR, that itself would be a great improvement. These parked vehicles would occupy one lane and then, the vehicles on the left lane would cut into the center, and the center lane vehicles would cut into the right affecting traffic flow. Planning to take the 500CA from Whitefield to Banashankari one evening after a gap of three years to see how this bus lane actually works

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Am a regular quick ride user(both as a rider and passenger). With bus lanes clearly marked and off-limits for personal vehicles, I think this won't be feasible anymore if one needs to get down around Kadubisenahalli(Oracle & all) or around WellsFargo area?

I think it would be a great practice for cabs as well as Quick ride vehicles to enter the service road after KB Halli underpass and then re enter the main carriageway after Wells Fargo. This is better and safer compared to parking on the main road in the center lane and causing a block of one lane. If entering service road is not possible, then the pickup should be where there is a wide median gap between the main and service roads. Here it would be possible to completely park by the side of the road and re enter the main road in the same gap. It would not hurt for ride takers to walk a bit to the nearest median gap.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I think it would be a great practice for cabs as well as Quick ride vehicles to enter the service road after KB Halli underpass and then re enter the main carriageway after Wells Fargo. This is better and safer compared to parking on the main road in the center lane and causing a block of one lane.

Indeed, but service lanes are usually choked with autos and cabs often during early office hours(8/9AM). Am not sure many riders would be comfortable going in there if their destination is towards marathalli/mahadevpura. Guess this might reduce quickride usage a bit till the confusion is sorted out.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Can anyone share what is the situation with the bus lane near Marathahalli Underpass? Especially at the point where many long distance buses would have parked to one side and choking the direction towards silk board?

Last few Fridays the Traffic Police/ volunteers have been directing these buses ( in the opposite direction towards KR puram) into the service lane up to the isro junction. Hence the situation has been much better on Friday nights ( post 10 PM).

Takes barely 5 mins to cross the underpass vs the 15-20 mins it used to take until last month.

Not sure about the opposite direction.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Can anyone share what is the situation with the bus lane near Marathahalli Underpass?

Originally Posted by anandhsub

Last few Fridays the Traffic Police/ volunteers have been directing these buses ( in the opposite direction towards KR puram) into the service lane up to the isro junction. Hence the situation has been much better on Friday nights ( post 10 PM).

Yes, that has been the only advantage so far, from this bus lane concept. The service lane gets choked though, when these monsters get into that narrow lane.

Great relief however, but have to see whether it would sustain because this would happen only if there is a police presence.

[am1m]

The US has an extended holiday and Bangalore traffic is much better, viva la globalization!

Undeniably better traffic onward and return on the Old Airport Road-Marathalli-Bellandur stretch of the ORR the past couple of days. Expecting it to go on for the rest of the week. Only reason I can figure is the Thanksgiving weekend in the US and as a result many American company offices here are somehow working light. Looks like Bangalore has more to be thankful for on Thanksgiving!

Also undeniable that the 'traffic' we all complain so much about is us IT folk, our cars and our office cabs. (After all, the BMTC buses and autos are still running. )

[condor]

One of the ways that BMTC is gearing up for the bus priority lane:

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by condor

One of the ways that BMTC is gearing up for the bus priority lane:

Attachment 1939582

Some oversmart person's idea using the rear view mirror analogy. Instead it should read 'If you are reading this while in a bus lane, you shouldn't be in it'.

No relationship with being close enough to read it. People are going to rear-end trying to read that poster!

[condor]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Instead it should read 'If you are reading this while in a bus lane, you shouldn't be in it'.

It is actually in line with the name of the lane: Bus "Priority" Lane. it does not say "Bus Only Lane"