Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[Wind]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

I understand your agony. I cross that railway gate two times a day and even the one time i get stuck there, i can feel my blood pressure rising. Somehow, all this traffic mayhem is really getting to me these days!

If you are willing to travel some extra kilometers you can cross the railway line at the other end ( north end ) of Carmelram. I have tried that a couple of times and the traffic at that level cross was decent.

Last weekend, I nearly lost my right side mirror in the mayhem in front of the Decathlon level cross.

-- Wind

[superutp]

What was up with traffic today between Lalbagh gate and dairy circle at 7:45am in the morning My 20-25 min morning journey took a whopping 45 mins and ended up being late.

In the evening, almost got featured in the accident thread 4 times. First was an underage boy riding a Dio corning like the road belonged to him almost rammed into me while coming out of a blind corner really fast. Luckily I was driving at 10kmph or so, and braked instantly.

Second, (partly my fault though) almost got T-Boned by a BMTC bus while trying to squeeze through at the intersection opposite Mantri Elite on Bannerghatta Road. Have never seen a bus brake to a stop so close to me. He was literally few cms from my right ORVM.

Third one, auto guy from left cuts across to take a right, anticipated it luckily and rammed on the brakes to stop.

Fourth one, idiotic pedestrian decided to take on against a Beat (me) trying to cross the road when I was turning into Palace Road from the corporation road (Its a blind corner). Again rammed the brakes, thank god I take turns slow.

Worst part, first three happened within a span of 10 mins.

And the rants continue..

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Every evening between 4 - 5:45 PM, the BMTC buses hired by AMD are illegally parked in the middle of the road in front of AMD office (the road opp to Tesco) at WhiteField EPIP Zone. The drivers just park and go for tea/snacks and other road users have just one lane left to use, causing a jam almost everyday. Daily I lose 15min trying to get my car out. On several occasions, I have tried entering the office speaking with the concerned AMD officials but the security at the reception always prevented me and simply directs me to the transport contractor who does nothing useful. Just today, I spoke to one facilities guy from AMD who was also not very keen in solving the issue.

I had posted this weeks ago and after initial couple of days, the situation is back to square one. The past couple of days, I nearly had a fight with the bus drivers and tried to speak to AMD officials but to no avail.

Today when I was not able to get my car out, I marched into the AMD office with my cell camera on. This brought the security head into action and he frantically called over the arrogant facilities head who was just interested in shouting at me and told me and I quote, "These are BMTC buses, you complain to BMTC or the Police and AMD has nothing to do with it". What a pathetic response from an employee of a supposedly reputed company. Unfortunately my camera recording had stopped sometime during the melee and I don't have much footage to nail these morons.

Now my only hope is registering a complaint with the police and go to the media. If anyone of you guys have some media contact, please help me. I have enough and more photos and videos to do a story against the illegal doings of the AMD company buses.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I have enough and more photos and videos to do a story against the illegal doings of the AMD company buses.

AMD is an international company with an international reputation to keep up. I'm sure if you report these goings-on to them they'll take it seriously (avoid the India office though). I recall that they had gotten smoking banned in the entire complex where their offices were in Hyderabad, in accordance with their global policy (my office was in the same complex then).

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Now my only hope is registering a complaint with the police and go to the media. If anyone of you guys have some media contact, please help me. I have enough and more photos and videos to do a story against the illegal doings of the AMD company buses.

Contact Bangalore Mirror via email, with the pictures an a detailed report on it. Post the pictures on the Bangalore Traffic Police Facebook fan-page. Just type BTP in the search bar. Usually some posts get the attention of higher-ups. If you've got the time, approach BMTC with the same camera-phone bust routine.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by binand

AMD is an international company with an international reputation to keep up. I'm sure if you report these goings-on to them they'll take it seriously (avoid the India office though).

I had already sent a mail to their US media contacts listed on the website, but to no avail. Today I was able to find the India management contact details and have mailed them. Lets see if someone responds.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Contact Bangalore Mirror via email, with the pictures an a detailed report on it. Post the pictures on the Bangalore Traffic Police Facebook fan-page. Just type BTP in the search bar. Usually some posts get the attention of higher-ups. If you've got the time, approach BMTC with the same camera-phone bust routine.

Already posted on the BTP page. Hope someone notices it. No hopes on BMTC though. Will try Bangalore Mirror. Thanks.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I had already sent a mail to their US media contacts listed on the website, but to no avail. Today I was able to find the India management contact details and have mailed them. Lets see if someone responds.

Already posted on the BTP page. Hope someone notices it. No hopes on BMTC though. Will try Bangalore Mirror. Thanks.

If camera recording is giving trouble and you have android then you can get an app called spy cam that helps you record till memory runs out. Try contacting the Assistant commissioner of Police who is in charge of the traffic department. BHPian KarthikK maybe able to help you as he got some of his neighborhood street issue resolved almost instantaneously.

Bangalore Mirror and TV9 are a good option. Tv9 does a segment where discrepancies in a neighborhood or other such issues are pointed out. Since its the local channel its best option. And also you can try CNN IBN citizen journalist cell. Last sunday i watched a similar episode. Hope the issue gets resolved soon.

Regards.

[esteem_lover]

I do not have the need to venture into these IT corridors here in Chennai especially during their peak times, but when I did one day, I saw 4-5 buses of a very famous company in front of me who pulled over to the left. Assuming they were stopping to pick up passengers, I began to overtake them one by one at 40 kmph, all of a sudden they all take a U turn. I ended up right in front of the traffic cop who was standing right there in the middle and watching this ruckus. As a result, the last 3 buses could not go through and were revving their engines and the drivers shouting obscenities. I stopped the 3rd bus and approached the cop who had only one thing to say. "Sir, please take my name and number and complain about this, we are not able to control them". Seems like they own the areas wherever they are located and also very very well connected even more than the city bus drivers. Pathetic. Must be the same in Bengaluru too, I guess.

[poloman]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I had posted this weeks ago and after initial couple of days, the situation is back to square one. The past couple of days, I nearly had a fight with the bus drivers and tried to speak to AMD officials but to no avail.

Today when I was not able to get my car out, I marched into the AMD office with my cell camera on. This brought the security head into action and he frantically called over the arrogant facilities head who was just interested in shouting at me and told me and I quote, "These are BMTC buses, you complain to BMTC or the Police and AMD has nothing to do with it". What a pathetic response from an employee of a supposedly reputed company. Unfortunately my camera recording had stopped sometime during the melee and I don't have much footage to nail these morons.

Now my only hope is registering a complaint with the police and go to the media. If anyone of you guys have some media contact, please help me. I have enough and more photos and videos to do a story against the illegal doings of the AMD company buses.

Even though I appreciate your concern,I think you are taking this as a personal fight. Can you be more clear on why you were not able take your car out?You parked the car on the road, then Volvos came and double parked blocking your car or you were not able to take the car out of your company gate itself. I can assure you that AMD had taken the complaints seriously, but what are the other options for the company employees to board the bus. It is not company's fault that the road is used by other companies' cab and employess to park and double park and no space left for Volvos to pick up employees.AMD is providing 100% parking for its employees and cabs(except Volvos) inside the campus. If other companies on the stretch had followed this, there would not be any congestion on the road.
Do you think barging in to an private company office( where photography is banned) with camera and creating a scene would help? Rather it can land you in trouble.
Why can't you take this up with your company management and let them talk to AMD and sort out the issue amicably?

[goandude]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Contact Bangalore Mirror via email, with the pictures an a detailed report on it. Post the pictures on the Bangalore Traffic Police Facebook fan-page. Just type BTP in the search bar. Usually some posts get the attention of higher-ups. If you've got the time, approach BMTC with the same camera-phone bust routine.

Can you post the link to Bangalore Mirror? Or any other Bangalore newspaper where one can write letter to the editor.
Thanks

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by poloman

Even though I appreciate your concern,I think you are taking this as a personal fight. Can you be more clear on why you were not able take your car out?You parked the car on the road, then Volvos came and double parked blocking your car or you were not able to take the car out of your company gate itself. I can assure you that AMD had taken the complaints seriously, but what are the other options for the company employees to board the bus. It is not company's fault that the road is used by other companies' cab and employess to park and double park and no space left for Volvos to pick up employees.AMD is providing 100% parking for its employees and cabs(except Volvos) inside the campus. If other companies on the stretch had followed this, there would not be any congestion on the road.
Do you think barging in to an private company office( where photography is banned) with camera and creating a scene would help? Rather it can land you in trouble.
Why can't you take this up with your company management and let them talk to AMD and sort out the issue amicably?

I don't have issue with AMD buses picking up employees and leaving. The issue is that the buses come and park at 4pm itself and the drivers go for tea break and disappear till 5:30pm when it is time to leave. Why does one need 1.5 hours to pick up people? Buses (or anyone else for that matter) double parking is simply not accepted.

If you want options, look at your neighbor TCS. I suppose they have more employees than AMD right? Their buses come on time, that too in batches of 3-4, pick the employees and leave in 5 min. I am sure with a bit of management, AMD can follow suit. It will be more easier for AMD since there is a big BMTC bus stand less than 500m away where the buses can park till it is time to leave.

Now coming to the point of barging in with a cam, this is the 10th or 15th time I had approached the AMD reception. Every time I am left to speak with an outside contractor or the security. If anyone of the AMD staff had taken the time to understand the issue and talk to me properly, I wouldn't have had to resort to such drastic steps.

And finally, why should I ask my company management to talk to AMD? As a citizen, don't I have rights on the road like anyone else? It is not like the road is owned by the companies there.

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I don't have issue with AMD buses picking up employees and leaving...

We can only try to get media's attention and make the problem go away for some time. After a while, the same old story will continue.

First of all, why do buses end up occupying the road? Because cars are parked on both sides of the road.
Why are cars parked both sides of the road? Because either the parking areas of surrounding companies are full, or they do not have visitor parking, or visitor parking is too small.

Now, did a builder get permission to construct a building without sufficient parking space? Or, are the companies overpopulating the offices (that is, the number of employees is far more than the building is designed to take)?

We are common men. We are born to suffer :-)

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

Now, did a builder get permission to construct a building without sufficient parking space?

This is the root cause of the issue - giving permission to construct malls/offices without sufficient parking space. Most of the IT parks do not have space to park buses to take employees. Another example is the Gopalan Habitat near CMRIT. They do not have sufficient car parking and cars are sometimes parked on the road inside the gate.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by goandude

Can you post the link to Bangalore Mirror? Or any other Bangalore newspaper where one can write letter to the editor.
Thanks

Here you go: bmfeedback@indiatimes.com

Also like somebody else had suggested, try a local news channel. I'm sure they'd be up and ready to cover news that's this serious. After all, it is a public nuisance and they can be booked under the CPC.

[poloman]

Your concerns are very much valid. But solutions are hard to come by.Why buses come at 4 instead of 5.30 may be due to logistic and scheduling challenges from BMTC. Regarding TTMC parking, it is oveflowing most of the time and buses are mostly parked on ITPL main road with line reaching Wipro GE gate some time.
But remember it has 350 odd car parking too? Is any one utilizing that? This is why I requested you to talk to your management. They cannot let their employees fend for themselves when it come to parking.
Skewing is a good option and I hope AMD is considering that.