[NPV]

After being here for a week, I realize that Bangalore is about 25 years behind in terms of infrastructure. Navi Mumbai will put Bangalore to shame very easily

In many places, I was wondering if the road is a 8-10 lane highway or a city road, that good, just WOW!

The number of flyovers, wide roads, skywalks and foot over bridges for pedestrians, huge buildings, well planned residential and commercial areas, an artificial lake, a waterfall, the list is endless. The Navi Mumbai municipal corporation headquarters is like the senate building in Austin, Texas.

When will the powers that be at Bangalore wake up ?
They don't need study tours to other international destinations, just a visit to the Mumbai areas should do.

[poloman]

"The fear of speeding vehicles vanished and streets turned into playgrounds, skating rinks, theatre stages and art galleries as HSR Layout observed a private vehicle-free day on Sunday . "

From timesofindia today. There are pictures of families playing games sitting bang in the middle of the road.No the question comes to one's mind, is this the purpose for which roads are built? How is this different from an enforced bundh? Who will compensate for the loss of businesses like petrol pumps and other commercial establishments? Why can't they resort to proven methods like allowing odd and even number vehicles on those specific dates, which immediately takes away half the load on the roads?

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by poloman

"The fear of speeding vehicles vanished and streets turned into playgrounds, skating rinks, theatre stages and art galleries as HSR Layout observed a private vehicle-free day on Sunday . "

From timesofindia today. There are pictures of families playing games sitting bang in the middle of the road.No the question comes to one's mind, is this the purpose for which roads are built? How is this different from an enforced bundh? Who will compensate for the loss of businesses like petrol pumps and other commercial establishments? Why can't they resort to proven methods like allowing odd and even number vehicles on those specific dates, which immediately takes away half the load on the roads.

Yeah, the "even odd number plate thingie" is a better idea! We can safely enforce it in many places. Why a bandh?

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by poloman

No the question comes to one's mind, is this the purpose for which roads are built? How is this different from an enforced bundh? Who will compensate for the loss of businesses like petrol pumps and other commercial establishments

I would be lying if I presume to know what the correct solution would be to the predicament of the poor cyclists, pedestrians, footballers, choreographers etc who wish to peacefully do their thing on the streets of Bangalore without us pesky motorists bothering them, that's because there is no solution to this problem, just like bothersome motorists like us bear with jaywalking & usage of roads for walking rather than footpaths 365 days of a year without expecting a days break.

There is a big difference in terms of infrastructure provided and the number of vehicles in the city, everyone can agree here. Yes it affects everyone but the thing is in a democracy a blanket order or ban is not the best way to solve things, far from it. Even if the majority of the residents had fun turning a public locality into their vision of utopia, it doesnt mean that others were spared of nuisance. Long snarling jams, heated arguements, irregular parking, overcharging autos were a few of the things that plagued main roads yesterday. Good luck, Whitefield, you're next. Btw Sunday does mean its everyones right to go out with family or friends by the means of transport of their choosing, and not having something chosen for them without choice, pulling a little North Korea there arent we, rulermakers?

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by NPV

Navi Mumbai will put Bangalore to shame very easily

My better half lived in Navi Mumbai area before our marriage, and this was the very statement she made when we started living in Bang-galore. If not for some personal reasons, I would've packed my bags and shifted there, instead of living the 'swalpa jaasthi adjust madi' life in Bangalore. Yet, I count myself fortunate that I don't have to endure the mess that Whitefield residents and people who work in Whitefield area have to go through day in and day out. Had this realisation when I had been to EPIP area on the weekend.

[freedom]

Originally Posted by silversteed

My better half lived in Navi Mumbai area before our marriage, and this was the very statement she made when we started living in Bang-galore. If not for some personal reasons, I would've packed my bags and shifted there, instead of living the 'swalpa jaasthi adjust madi' life in Bangalore. Yet, I count myself fortunate that I don't have to endure the mess that Whitefield residents and people who work in Whitefield area have to go through day in and day out. Had this realisation when I had been to EPIP area on the weekend.

Yes Navi Mumbai has excellent trunk roads and can put a lot of cities to shame. Similarly, PCMC roads are 100 times better than what Pune has to offer.

But think about it, PCMC and Navi Mumbai are "man made" cities. The roads ought to be wider than old downtown parts of Metros. No?

And no.. I am not trying to defend Bangalore. Just my 2 paise

I do agree that Bangalore has expanded and atleast the newly developed areas deserve better and wider roads.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I would be lying if I presume to know what the correct solution would be to the predicament of the poor cyclists, pedestrians, footballers, choreographers etc who wish to peacefully do their thing on the streets of Bangalore..

I get a feeling that what ever the authorities try doing in HSR layout would actually irritate the people even more; thanks to the way it was all reported. I was reading today's The Hindu and they were talking about people staging dramas on the road, and youngsters playing cricket on the roads. The next question any one will have is, then why were roads built in the first place? Was it for vehicles to move or people to do dramas and play cricket? Instead of that if these reports indicated on how people chose to use the public transport effectively - that would have been better. My understanding was that the whole exercise was to encourage people to use public transport and keep their private vehicles at home.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

I get a feeling that what ever the authorities try doing in HSR layout would actually irritate the people even more; thanks to the way it was all reported. I was reading today's The Hindu and they were talking about people staging dramas on the road, and youngsters playing cricket on the roads. The next question any one will have is, then why were roads built in the first place? Was it for vehicles to move or people to do dramas and play cricket?

Heard from my friend that something like this is already implemented in Navi Mumbai. A stretch of the Palm Beach Road is off limits for traffic between 6am-10am on Sundays and the residents use it for community activities, exercise, cycling, Cricket
Of course the vehicular traffic has several other roads for use during this period. However, this is not the case in Bangalore and especially HSR Layout. Roads around the periphery of HSR like the Haralur Road, Sarjapur road, Hosa Road are not really great and there may not be alternatives for vehicular traffic. Heck, HSR Layout is not Cubbon Park where they recently implemented the No traffic on Sundays rule

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by poloman

How is this different from an enforced bundh?

It was literally an enforced bandh. Except that the shops were open, doing nothing, as their "customers" were busy playing cricket on the streets. Our neighborhood vegetable vendor did not have stocks because his vehicle was not allowed in.

So many folks enjoyed on the roads and the organizers had their day, at the expense of others.

On another note, we had a function at our clubhouse and the guest was a high profile person (a builder!) and we were little worried how he would arrive at 5PM. Surprisingly he cut through at least two entry/exit points and arrived at our apartment in his new Merc, and no one asked him to "take a bus".

At the end of the day, those who suffered were the 'mango' people

[ambivalent_98]

Pune too had its MG Road being shut down to traffic. However being a commercial area it was more of a giant shopping plaza with the road being empty of vehicles people who had come shopping were able to move freely and business did boom for the day this happened.
I do not know the current status of this exercise but in a commercial area it makes more sense.
Bangalore is a case study in itself with some of the ideas being really wacky. To encourage public transport a whole area is shut to vehicular movement is a strange and typical Bengalurean way to solve a problem. Somehow I find that the problem and its solution have nothing in common at all. Is it lack of political will or the authorities have no one who has some iota of common sense ?

[subraiyr]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

I get a feeling that what ever the authorities try doing in HSR layout would actually irritate the people even more; thanks to the way it was all reported. I was reading today's The Hindu and they were talking about people staging dramas on the road, and youngsters playing cricket on the roads. The next question any one will have is, then why were roads built in the first place? Was it for vehicles to move or people to do dramas and play cricket? Instead of that if these reports indicated on how people chose to use the public transport effectively - that would have been better. My understanding was that the whole exercise was to encourage people to use public transport and keep their private vehicles at home.

What a joke it has been. Whoever decided to have a no pvt vehicle traffic on Sunday on HSR must have been popping some wondrous pill. Obviously they did not understand the meaning of Open Streets. The however managed to have a mini city bandh and converted a bunch of fence sitters into Open Street haters. A couple of my friends relatives came in from out station on train, took a taxi and were left outside the area along with baggage. Unfortunately one of them were old and obviously not leaned towards hotfooting it or climbing a bus. And then i heard of another incident where a doctor from HSR layout was summoned for an emergency procedure and was blocked every 2 mts when driving his car to the hospital. Obviously some modicum of fundamental rights of movement evaporated. Imagine some of us who have a 6 day work week and have only 1 day to do our regular shopping are at wits end holding multiple bags and trying to get into buses.
Now if only they had come up with an idea of Open Street on MG Road or Brigade road or something like that.

[mpksuhas]

^^ Exactly. If it was a commercial area (Brigade road, Commercial street) or park (like its done in Cubbon park since past couple of months) it would have made sense. Closing a residential layout sounds downright stupid.

Regarding the Devarabeesanahalli flyover accident. On Saturday morning saw around 10 policemen in two vehicles, one of which was I guess ACP's Saleem's Innova parked next to the flyover. Some 2 hours later when I was on my way back, noticed that the pothole was filled with mud.

Now, I am not a big fan of this mud filling, since in a few hours the same will be a bigger mess. However, what surprised and irritated me was the lack of any action from BBMP who is supposed to take care of the roads. It is left to traffic police to do the road repair work too.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Regarding the Devarabeesanahalli flyover accident. On Saturday morning saw around 10 policemen in two vehicles, one of which was I guess ACP's Saleem's Innova parked next to the flyover. Some 2 hours later when I was on my way back, noticed that the pothole was filled with mud.

Now, I am not a big fan of this mud filling, since in a few hours the same will be a bigger mess. However, what surprised and irritated me was the lack of any action from BBMP who is supposed to take care of the roads. It is left to traffic police to do the road repair work too.

BDA plans to offload the flyover maintenance to BBMP as reported in the newspaper. Infact after filling the pothole with mud, the pothole surfaced once again with vengeance after some hours.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

BDA plans to offload the flyover maintenance to BBMP as reported in the newspaper. Infact after filling the pothole with mud, the pothole surfaced once again with vengeance after some hours.

IIRC, I read somewhere that all road maintenance has been given over to the BBMP?

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

IIRC, I read somewhere that all road maintenance has been given over to the BBMP?

Yep, I too read the same. As regards the pothole filling with mud, some time back an artist had depicted an anaconda / crocodile in a pothole as if to swallow people. This was done with a good intention of highlighting the prevailing apathy on bangalore roads.
It looks like there is some unknown force in the potholes that seems to gobble up mud once filled.