Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[NPV]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

Time to try this out on our roads?
Attachment 1427010

Source: http://9gag.com/gag/aDmQK27

Yes, in fact they already did this on our very own Bengaluru roads couple of days ago

Source:Indian Express, Bangalore, 12 Oct 2014 - Link
Article - "Pothole Death:Cops Yet to Nail Agency"

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

If this is implemented, we'll be driving through a forest with more trees per square foot than people!

Your wish may soon be granted! (once these saplings grow into trees)

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by Horizon81

E-City has its own share of devils. Biggest of which is known as Hosa Road Junction. I've marked all the "legal" turns allowed at this junction. (which the traffic cops allow). Crossing this junction is guaranteed to raise your blood pressure.

Oh this is one CRAZY junction! How do you guys manage it everyday, I am not sure. I get so scared when trying to join the main road from the service road. It is just hell. Add to that the difference in height between the main road and service road and the cement slabs!

[binand]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

The domlur junction in particular is notorious. on the indiranagar side, right turn is not allowed for people coming from ESI hospital road. However when the cop looks the other way, there are these mini trucks and 2 wheelers who scoot and take a right only to create more havoc for down-coming traffic from the flyover from koramangla!

It'd be all round better if they simply bricked up that junction. There are only two legal turns there - U-turn for southbound 100 feet road traffic, and right turn for traffic emerging from Kodihalli side. Both these don't warrant such a messy junction - they can easily use the interchange ramps for this.

[Soumyajit9]

Jam Alert on ORR

1) Volvo breakdown at the mouth of Kadubisenahalli Underpass on the right most lane, towards Bellandur.

2) Maruti Omni breakdown on Sarjapur flyover, right on the fast lane on the right curve towards Agara.

[arunphilip]

I have often wondered whether we need to start levying 'breakdown fines' to vehicles that break down and obstruct traffic. There should be dynamic scaling of fines based on various multiplicative factors like:

• Class of vehicle: e.g. 2-wheelers are exempt, private vehicles with >2 wheels are 1x, commercial vehicles are 10x*
• Location of breakdown: based on impact it causes. e.g. breakdown on E-City expressway - 5x, ORR between KR Puram and Silk Board - 2x
• Time of breakdown: e.g. every 2 hours, a fine is levied at 1x. For any block of 2 hours between 7 am - 9 pm, it's instead 2x

The idea is that we should levy such fines that financially encourage owners to perform better preventative maintenance. In better regulated countries, there's a strict periodic licensing of the vehicle (e.g. MOT in the UK) that verifies road-worthiness. This can be a partial substitute for the same (partial because it doesn't take care of emissions, etc.)

*10x for commercial vehicles might sound harsh, but these vehicles generate revenue directly by way of running, so it is only fair that they are properly maintained. BMTC buses might be exempt by the sad reality that they cannot be policed.

[KiloAlpha]

On a related note:
I regularly use Bannerghatta road; the stretch between MICO factory and Sagar Hospital.

Why is it, that whenever there is a bus/auto/taxi broken down, it is always at a choke point - like the one in front of Sagar Automobiles, or near the KMF factory gate? The narrowest parts of this stretch of road? It reduces the already narrowing 1.5 lanes to 0.75 lanes, causing no end of grief to everybody else.

[Horizon81]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

I can bet my car on this junction.
Everytime I go to Kropex Chevrolet to service my car, I return home after a high BP attack.

Catching a bus is another exercise here ! Pity on the pedestrians who have to cross this junction.

To get to Kropex, you should ideally take the service road at Kudlu gate and come all the way till the service center on the service road. But these days, Kudlu gate is also turning out to be very unpredictable with respect to spontaneous jams.

On the subject of pedestrians, my colleague had to brake hard at this junction to avoid a pedestrian who was crossing when the signal was green for vehicles. He avoided hitting the pedestrian, but fell down from his bike at the junction fracturing three of his fingers. The pedestrian didn't bother to show any heed and carried on with his business. My colleague is still undergoing physiotherapy to regain full motion of the fingers, 6 months after the incident!

Originally Posted by naveenroy

Oh this is one CRAZY junction! How do you guys manage it everyday, I am not sure. I get so scared when trying to join the main road from the service road. It is just hell. Add to that the difference in height between the main road and service road and the cement slabs!

I usually stick to the service road all the way till electronic city, if I'm driving during peak hours. Only if I'm starting early, before 8 AM, I dare to cross over to the main road. Its literally impossible to cross over without coming face to face with another vehicle.

[babu.sundaram]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Compared to MTC buses in Chennai, BMTC fares are comparatively costly.
...
Given an option I would commute by normal BMTC bus . But if you wait at Silk board during peak hours, you will find only volvo buses to ITPL.
In Chennai, we do have volvo buses plying but majority of them are the normal AL/TATA buses.

Very true. BMTC is at least double the cost. Volvos are thrice (easily?) the cost of normal BMTCs. Somehow, the only ACs to work in Bangalore are Volvos! May be people are more willing to pay additional cost if its volvo!

PS: You meant majority of AC buses are AL/TATA right

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Reading this thread regularly, I see that majority of the members work in the Sarjapur Road/ORR/Whitefield area, either that or this is the single largest mess of an "I.T" belt.
...

Sort of agree. In my very infrequent commutes to both places, if I get irritated with traffic at Sarjapur road/ORR, I get "desperate" in Whitefield!

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

i wonder which engineer puts up speed breakers in Bangalore.
...

Do you still believe there is any engineering in building them?! They are BIG, most disturbing and many times have to be cut down in size as even trucks start bottoming at times!

On a positive note, the build quality of the speed breakers is exceptional. They live sound even when the road around goes tatters! May be they should have same people build roads as well!

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

I have often wondered whether we need to start levying 'breakdown fines' to vehicles that break down and obstruct traffic. There should be dynamic scaling of fines based on various multiplicative factors like:.

This happens now too. When a truck breaks down, the only response from cops is that they come and take their own time raking up previous offences, verifying the documents and then giving a quotation for the fine that the driver has to pay. Then negotiations start and they come to a settlement fee which the cop takes and leaves the scene. The cop does nothing to improve the scene.

At least two constables can be made to stand a little before the truck and instruct people to clear that lane gradually instead of making abrupt changes once they come near the truck. They can even alternate the movement and allow the affected lane to move with less chaos.

What can be done is to deploy two tow trucks on either side of the road to jump into action once there is a breakdown, and then levy the towing charges and various other penalty AFTER clearing the road. However it is the opposite now.

[raghuram.cg]

I have a question for folks working at Manyata tech Park , especially during the evenings.
I pass through it regularly and of late I have been seeing the traffic from Hebbal towards KR Puram is choc a bloc right from Lumbini Gardens, roughly 1.5 kms of bumper to bumper traffic, moving very slowy

Is the reason for this the pedestrian crossing in front of Manyata OR is it due to vehicles exiting Manyata and trying to take a U- turn under the Nagwara flyover to move towards Hebbal.

The same case for traffic from KR Puram towards Hebbal - the flyover is always full!

raghu

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by raghuram.cg

I have a question for folks working at Manyata tech Park , especially during the evenings.
I pass through it regularly and of late I have been seeing the traffic from Hebbal towards KR Puram is choc a bloc right from Lumbini Gardens, roughly 1.5 kms of bumper to bumper traffic, moving very slowy
Is the reason for this the pedestrian crossing in front of Manyata OR is it due to vehicles exiting Manyata and trying to take a U- turn under the Nagwara flyover to move towards Hebbal.

I return on this route, usually between 8-9 pm. I usually find Lumbini Gardens until the Veeranapalya flyover reasonably fine, unless there's a broken down vehicle. Once I come down the flyover, however, the traffic is significant - this is because vehicles exit the first Manyata gate (i.e. NOT the one next to the petrol bunk), and drive on the service road towards the Veeranapalya flyover (so they can go under it and head towards Hebbal, saving them a U-turn at Nagawara). Cabs coming off the flyover want to take the same road in the opposite direction to enter the first Manyata gate, resulting in some mess.

Secondly, as you've pointed out, vehicles that are exiting Manyata's second gate (next to the petrol bunk) often tangle with BMTC buses that stop to pick up people, since these buses stop just next to the openings between the service road and ORR. Pedestrians crossing here are also to blame to an extent, but I don't blame them for crossing the road in the absence of a walkway. On the opposite side of the road, cabs and buses that drop off people cause a far worse jam than the pedestrians!

Once its past 9pm, there's another pain point that opens up - vehicles from the Nagawara flyover come the wrong way on the service road from Nagawara to reach the Manyata gate (this service road is technically a one-way). Given the number of two-wheelers parked by people having a snack on that service road, it clutters up the road further.

The only thing that keeps me sane on this road is the fact that I drove it for all the years they were building the Nagawara flyover. And compared to then, today is bliss.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

I return on this route, usually between 8-9 pm. I usually find Lumbini Gardens until the Veeranapalya flyover reasonably fine, unless there's a broken down vehicle. Once I come down the flyover, however, the traffic is significant - this is because vehicles exit the first Manyata gate (i.e. NOT the one next to the petrol bunk), and drive on the service road towards the Veeranapalya flyover (so they can go under it and head towards Hebbal, saving them a U-turn at Nagawara). Cabs coming off the flyover want to take the same road in the opposite direction to enter the first Manyata gate, resulting in some mess.

Secondly, as you've pointed out, vehicles that are exiting Manyata's second gate (next to the petrol bunk) often tangle with BMTC buses that stop to pick up people, since these buses stop just next to the openings between the service road and ORR. Pedestrians crossing here are also to blame to an extent, but I don't blame them for crossing the road in the absence of a walkway. On the opposite side of the road, cabs and buses that drop off people cause a far worse jam than the pedestrians!

Once its past 9pm, there's another pain point that opens up - vehicles from the Nagawara flyover come the wrong way on the service road from Nagawara to reach the Manyata gate (this service road is technically a one-way). Given the number of two-wheelers parked by people having a snack on that service road, it clutters up the road further.

The only thing that keeps me sane on this road is the fact that I drove it for all the years they were building the Nagawara flyover. And compared to then, today is bliss.

I shudder to think of this side of the ORR once Manyata II is completed. It is HUGE compared to the existing campus! We have another EcoSpace + EcoWorld in the making

[daretodream]

Bannerghatta road towards jayadeva from meenakshi mall is choco block between Bata showroom until IIM

Have done 300m in last 30 mins!

[SchumiFan]

What does it take to get the signal near Vasudev Adigas and Bethany High School near Koramangala Police Station to be operational?

Every day it is the same story; playing dodgeball with the vehicles. Else it is a sea of vehicles all stuck in one place or the other and the resultant chaos takes many minutes to clear up.

Pretty frustrating since there is a police station very nearby and a stupid signal on yellow always in that intersection.

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by babu.sundaram

Do you still believe there is any engineering in building them?!

Bro, maybe you are already aware, there is an institution that creates engineers for road building. Its a central institute. Every state government has to employ engineers to build roads. There is a lot of engineering that goes behind these for eg. the load the roads should carry, rain activities, gradients, shallow sand areas etc.
Every year roads to shabarimala are rubberised and done with the help of engineers. They also advocate strong usage of rumblers instead of speed breakers.

Most of the tech parks (we had lots in EGL where i used to work) have plastc fibre speedbreakers screwed onto the road surface. in reality, those are actually not allowed as they are known to cause more harm as the rise and fall slopes are almost orthogonal!

Just my two cents