Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[sachinpk]

'Bengaluru will be an unliveable, dead city in 5 years'
The Raves and rants thread seemed to be the appropriate place for such a news. Some thing which I realised during my journeys from home towards ITPL is that in very many places Bangalore is actually an "urbanised village". And this means there is no adequate infrastructure or civic amenities planning. The environmentalists are crying hoarse that water table levels in the city is going from bad to worse. From my side, I eagerly want to know where Varthur area would stand in another 5 years down the line. I feel this would be a typical example of an "urbanised village". A so-called suburb in the city, which has just got one main road (which is also the bazaar street) and lots of residential layouts/flats (off course with fancy English county names) sprouting out around it. No visible policing, no serious plans for traffic law enforcement etc. The other area which is worth watching is Bellandur (especially the Bellandur-Yamalur-Airport Road stretch).

[Rajeevraj]

Did not know this was happening. New bridge on the bellandur side of the bellandur- yamalur road. Just happened to see an article. Link

The Rs 1.2-crore project is expected to ease congestion on the narrow bridge which is used by thousands of IT professionals working in two Special Economic Zones (SEZs) located nearby. The new bridge will be twice as big as the old one.

The bridge - 12 metres wide, 20 metres long and 1.5 metres high - is being built under the Nagarothana scheme. It is coming up next to a similar bridge that was also constructed at Rs 1.2 crore. "We have blocked the outflow of water near the old ramp with loads of debris. Ones the area dries up, we will begin the civic work. The contractors have promised to complete the work in 45 days,” a BBMP official told Deccan Herald.

Good move. The existing bridge was narrow and looked very weak and dangerous, especially considering the huge volume of traffic that now flows on that route.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Some thing which I realised during my journeys from home towards ITPL is that in very many places Bangalore is actually an "urbanised village". And this means there is no adequate infrastructure or civic amenities planning. The environmentalists are crying hoarse that water table levels in the city is going from bad to worse. From my side, I eagerly want to know where Varthur area would stand in another 5 years down the line. I feel this would be a typical example of an "urbanised village".

Cant agree more. Having lived in south Bangalore for 22 years, I started working in Whitefield a couple of months back. Its definitely a village that has been shoved with huge buildings and lot of people. Its just due to the greed of some people, including people who owned large chunks of land in and around this area. Everyone either built Tech Parks, or Apartments and drilled down thousands of borewells. No one gave a damn about connecting roads, or had the courtesy to offer a few feet of their land for a wider road. The ITPL main road was in such a big mess until a few months back. No one cared to give it a good shape though everyone built more and more commercial spaces to make money.

Ground water is depleted in most areas of bangalore, and if the summer turns out to be harsh next year too, there will be a water shortage, which will make those living on tankers of water shell out more money. And we will have more such tankers on the roads driving like mad. Still, you will find people investing on ACs instead of doing something to save water.

If the Traffic situation worsens any further, then it will definitely reach a state when bangalore will become 'Undriveable' or whatever. How long can the cab drivers continue wearing out their knees and throwing them into the smallest gaps possible. There has to be an end to everything somewhere.

[vin_b]

Guys maybe another round of fuel crisis around the corner
Link

Petrol bunks in the city are likely to go dry over the weekend with fuel transporters threatening to go on an indefinite strike. A decision on this will be taken on May 5 and announced the next day. If the decision is in favour of the strike, all 700-odd petrol tankers ferrying petrol/diesel into the city from the fuel terminal at Devanagonthi, will remain off the roads, starving the city petrol bunks of petrol and diesel.

[srishiva]

Having used the Metro, I think if they fast track metro and build things in parallel instead of phases it will help a lot.

Around Vidhana Soudha area, the ground water level is 20 feet or so It was same when they were building the Jayadeva flyover.

Usually newer city areas are supposed to be well planned with good roads etc. Its the reverse in Bengaluru.

[ambivalent_98]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Did not know this was happening. New bridge on the bellandur side of the bellandur- yamalur road. Just happened to see an article. Link



Good move. The existing bridge was narrow and looked very weak and dangerous, especially considering the huge volume of traffic that now flows on that route.

Interesting move. Maybe they could also make the road a little wider and better tarmac which would make traffic flow slightly faster.
But what if it rains before the water dries out and civic work is stalled ? Won't the foam overrun everyone ?

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

New bridge on the bellandur side of the bellandur- yamalur road. Just happened to see an article.

Where exactly is this? Is it that narrow bridge (to cross that lake which has white froth) just after Yemalur Village? Or there is another one close to Bellandur village (next to a mosque).

Originally Posted by audioholic

Ground water is depleted in most areas of bangalore, and if the summer turns out to be harsh next year too, there will be a water shortage, which will make those living on tankers of water shell out more money.

I think overall the weather, the traffic conditions etc. are going to be pretty much the same as this year or slightly worse next year. The only saving grace for me is that I have no immovable assets in the city (even though I spent around 16 years odd here), and now have to seriously plan of alternate places to work & live. The way things are moving even if the civic agencies work over-time, think through of a proper plan implementation would take time. And civic agencies working over time or coming up with visionary plans is also a big IF.

Originally Posted by srishiva

Having used the Metro, I think if they fast track metro and build things in parallel instead of phases it will help a lot.

I agree with you. But don't know if land acquistions etc. have been completed for all phases. Secondly, I feel that even if the concerned people now work with all earnestness, it has come to a stage that things cannot change for the next 1-2 years. It is like a case of a "too little, too late" now.

[m8002?]

I used to commute on the bellandur-yamalur stretch for 5 years before the office location changed and I am grateful for it. Most people talk about the bridge but that is not going to solve the problem. The major problem is narrow roads in the two villages.
And it goes from bad to crazy when residents of the village stop/divert the traffic for temple festivals.

[NPV]

Couple of days back on the Hoodi Road (4 lane divided one-way road) I saw a traffic cop speeding away on the wrong side!

Last night just past 10pm, I was entering the NGEF road from Old Madras Road but could not make the left turn due to the presence of a bunch of 2 wheelers on the wrong side trying to scoot across to the Suranjan Das road junction (to avoid having to go till the Metro station and make a U-turn), so had no other option but to let them all pass and then turn left. The shocker was that the last 2 wheeler was a traffic cop who sheepishly turned his head and sped away
The people who challan and fine other motorists for such offences, instead of setting an example for the right behavior are doing the exact opposite. God save us.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

I agree with you. But don't know if land acquistions etc. have been completed for all phases. Secondly, I feel that even if the concerned people now work with all earnestness, it has come to a stage that things cannot change for the next 1-2 years. It is like a case of a "too little, too late" now.

My be after completing the MG Road Baiyappanahlli stretch, the authorities should have started Metro construction in E city / Whitefield areas as these constitute a major portion of the traffic gridlock. If not Metro, they should have planned for introducing suburban trains starting from Hosur passing through Chandapura, Marathahaalli, Bellandur, Cantonment, City, Kengeri.
Looks like by the time metro starts in Whitefield, the number of vehicles on the roads would have increased astronomically.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Where exactly is this? Is it that narrow bridge (to cross that lake which has white froth) just after Yemalur Village? Or there is another one close to Bellandur village (next to a mosque).
.

Yes, this is the one close to Bellandur Village-Next to the Mosque. The bridge next to Yemalur village had already been replaced with a bigger wider one couple of years back.

The roads in Yemalur village continue to be a bottleneck when traffic is high.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

'Bengaluru will be an unliveable, dead city in 5 years'

You don't need a magazine or a study to tell you Bangalore would be unlivable in some years. You just have to look around and compare how it has changed in the past 4-5 years. I have stayed in BLR for about 6 years and I see visible change all around me. People who have lived here more must understand even more.

But I don't believe the story is any different to any other Metro. Our big cities are dying, while contractors and politicians make enough money to settle their kids out of India.

That unfortunately is the sad story of India. And Bangalore is no different.

[aqualeo2040]

Wedding Chaos:
Why do people invite the entire village to their wedding ceremony? They are supposed to bear witness to the event and bless the couple.
What if, in the process, these villagers disrupt the lives of thousands who are not only not invited but also not interested?
How do these blessings of a few weigh against the angst of the mass?

The Palace Grounds is one such venue.
All the VVVVVIPs of Bangalore want to get their kin married off at the hallowed grounds. I wonder if the place has a direct connection to the holy of the holies!
What comes along with that are absolute disregard for the traffic and total demise of common sense. Cars parked on road, vehicles stopping and waiting for pickups and drops and not a cop in sight to manage the traffic. They are busy pleasing their VVVVVIPs otherwise they'll get posted to the remotest corner of the state.

Apparently, there's a PIL filed last year for the same.
http://www.bangaloremirror.com/banga.../48127734.cms?

At the same time,BBMP is smoking all sort of illegal stuff. They have been expanding the roads around Palace grounds since the time dinosaurs roamed the earth. The dinos are extinct, and the apes have evolved into human beings, mostly.

So, yesterday, some honcho MLA decided to get his son married off at the hallowed grounds and I was not invited along with thousands stuck on the road.

Left the Press club at 10pm and decided to take the Cunningham Rd-Palace Rd-Mekri Circle-Sanjaynagar route.
The darn traffic had backed up till Cunningham Road ! and nobody cares to even apologize to the public.
These are the retards who we vote to power so that they can have a gala time at our expense.
***Rant ENDS***

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by aqualeo2040

Wedding Chaos........

Idiocy rules. Mid-April, we had a few hundred meter stretch of Mysore Road blocked near Nayandahalli's Hanuman temple for Ram Navami festivities for THREE days. The resultant traffic grid-lock rendered all roads in a 5 mile radius unusable. Google Maps traffic alerts showed BSK 3rd Stage maroon for 12+ hours straight one day! The Gods themselves must be

[rohanak1]

Originally Posted by NPV

Couple of days back on the Hoodi Road (4 lane divided one-way road) I saw a traffic cop speeding away on the wrong side!

Last night just past 10pm, I was entering the NGEF road from Old Madras Road but could not make the left turn due to the presence of a bunch of 2 wheelers on the wrong side trying to scoot across to the Suranjan Das road junction (to avoid having to go till the Metro station and make a U-turn), so had no other option but to let them all pass and then turn left. The shocker was that the last 2 wheeler was a traffic cop who sheepishly turned his head and sped away
The people who challan and fine other motorists for such offences, instead of setting an example for the right behavior are doing the exact opposite. God save us.

When it comes to our traffic cops, rules do not apply to them. Driving on the wrong side, wearing a helmet which is not strapped (this is very common) or wearing no helmet at all, pillion policeman not wearing a helmet and going triples on a bike are very common. Drivers of police vehicles never wear seatbelts. I don't expect them to follow rules. They are also finally Indian public!!!

Many 2-wheeler riders are a major menace. From NGEF to the U-turn is not going to take too long at 10pm. I just don't understand why is it so difficult to follow rules. The 4-lane Hoodi main road is a road where traffic violations are at the worst. Large trucks are always parked which closes of one lane. Then fools are driving on the wrong side which reduces the space for people driving in the right direction. Really don't know when people will learn to follow rules. Last Friday, when returning from Forum near St. John's a biker hits my car when the traffic just starts moving after a signal. He was having his helmet on the fuel tank. Most probably that hit the car when he moved. Such idiots I tell you.