[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by AshiqueS

Please watch the Youtube video.Traffic caused not due to rains or metro work but due to whitetopping

The beauty of all this, even if one may want to argue that it is outer ring road, is the presence of sheer number of commercial vehicles - Trucks in all shapes and sizes.

Trust me, these are the vehicles that has been a primary reason for making outer ring road (all over) complete mess when it comes to driving speeds. You can find 3 trucks in all 3 lanes while 50-80 cars are crawling behind each of these to find way to sneak in and move ahead .

What is now needed is a very strict rule for entry of trucks during day time. I know 2 years back when they tried to implement this, it died an instant death due to the pressure from the association of truckers.

[Ohh!Oxygen]

Originally Posted by AshiqueS

Video URL - https://www.Youtube.com/embed/6FuNAKHsIdU?rel=0

Traffic standstill from Nagavara to Horamavu.
Please watch the Youtube video.Traffic caused not due to rains or metro work but due to whitetopping

That explains the zero traffic scene at Bennigana Halli railway underpass. There is no waiting, a free pass for the underpass. Cherry on top is no waterlogging today too.

[nambiarshreyas]

Absolutely pathetic situation on the Ring Road. But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining.
Set out from my home in Nagawara towards Marathalli on my bike today morning. Thanks to Google maps, decided to take the long way around to get to Horamavu.
The Horamavu road was clogged too due to the spill over traffic from Ring road. So rode on through some hitherto unexplored inner roads and ended up atop the Ramamurthy nagar flyover. From there on it was a breeze all the way till the Innovative multiplex underpass since everybody and their uncle was being showered with "White-topping" bhagya. Love that phrase btw
Moral of the story for everyone coming from Hebbal towards KR Puram for the next month or so, dont even think about taking the ring road - Stick to the Horamavu road or Kamanahalli main road to bypass this stretch and hit KR Puram after which things should be easier.

[am1m]

After 8 years at the center of town, my office shifted to the ORR. The traffic is bad in both areas, but with the center of town, we at least had the option of public transport in the form of the Metro and BMTC. Here, it's the bike/car or taxi.

Now, the state government and BBMP are certainly to blame for the mess that the city's traffic is in. No doubt. But what a lot of us forget is that we - me, you, the guy in the next cubicle, are also to blame. When the decision to shift the office was announced, it was presented to us as a given. We're moving, we're moving here, take it or leave it. Some brave souls resigned. Most of us didn't. I'm sure if just a few more of us had 'voted with our feet' the decision would have been reversed. But it wasn't. I'm one of the cowards too and I'm paying for it- I'm stuck in traffic for one hour each way these days, I used to have a glorious 15 minute walk through Cubbon Park each morning to reach work from the metro station just 4 months ago. The reasons given for the office shift have proved to be BS. "Growth, cheaper rents, better facilities". Three months after the shift- we're running a fleet of taxis to get employees from all over the city to work (so much for cheaper), the taxis (and 95% of the office in them) have to leave work at 3:45pm to beat traffic (better office facilities! with no one to use them!), and growth (the few employees like me who use their own transport, literally play soft ball cricket in the empty office corridors after everyone has left ). Oh, an obviously unrelated factoid - 2 of the 3 head honchos, the guys who took the final call on where to move, they have a villa and an apartment in the residential complex attached to the new office complex! And number 3 gets driven to work in an luxury SUV!

The story of Bangalore's mess and why we have to wade through it is full of little anecdotes like this where "the conflict (is) between the short-term interests of decision-making elites and the long-term interests of society as a whole, especially if the elites are able to insulate themselves from the consequences of their actions." (line taken from an article in the Wire referring to Delhi's pollution issue, but quite relevant to Bangalore traffic). Public or private, State government or private software company MNC governance. The people are the same.

I can blame the state government, curse the BBMP while I fume in traffic. Or I can examine my lifestyle and if this is all worth it. Perhaps look for another job close to a metro station. Perhaps look for a job that lets me work from home, even if it means a pay cut. Right now I'm ok with a 25% pay cut if I can work from home. And truth be told, my work really does not require me to be physically present in the office.

Sooner or later we will have to examine our options, what I see everyday on the road and at work is very, very obviously unsustainable.

[airbus]

Originally Posted by nambiarshreyas

Moral of the story for everyone coming from Hebbal towards KR Puram for the next month or so, dont even think about taking the ring road - Stick to the Horamavu road or Kamanahalli main road to bypass this stretch and hit KR Puram after which things should be easier.

Just now BTP posted this on social media:

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

...What is now needed is a very strict rule for entry of trucks during day time. I know 2 years back when they tried to implement this, it died an instant death due to the pressure from the association of truckers.

That rule can affect the regular supply chain of our basic consumables. So, what is required is a similar lane rule as in Middle Eastern countries (not sure of Europe and US). They mark the truck lane on busy roads, they are fined if they enter the faster lanes. Thats an easier to implement rule and solves the issue almost 100% ! Which deciding authority in India thinks of practical solutions to an issue anyway ?

Metro lines from MG Road to Airport via Hebbal and Goraguntepalya to Whitefield via Hebbal will bring down the present clutter to less than half. Thats a permanent solution which does not require Einstein's brain to implement. Instead we heard steel flyover, broadening of a 100 meter flyover etc, when existing flyovers itself is a narrow and shoddy job for the present vehicle volume.

Our original city founders Kempe Gowda I and II who lived 400+ years back planned and executed things for 500+ years ahead of their time. Now we have back to back pathetic administrations who is trying to patch work for what was supposed to be done 20 years back !! And they think renaming the city or changing the state flag color or changing the public display boards to local language can eliminate all the present issues overnite and remember, all of these actions are at the cost of public money

[gpa]

Originally Posted by airbus

Just now BTP posted this on social media:

Glad they finally posted this. A 5 km commute which took 15 mins for me earlier now takes 40 mins since I have to take internal roads which are crowded and laden with unscientific speed-breakers around every corner.

[tharian]

Is there any reason for white-topping to be done during the day?

On such a busy road, they should have done this during the night which is usually what is done in case of tar. I cannot understand what BTP's thought process is when they have to handle this. Simply move the process to late nights and early morning hours and divert the traffic to one side of the road which is the usual process for asphalting more or less. Is it because the concrete will not dry fast enough during the night.

When they know very well this is going to be the result of working on a heavy traffic road during the day, the least they could have done was divert truck traffic to the outskirts. There is already an existing road that these trucks use to avoid coming into the city.
I respect BTP for whatever they do, but at times like these, I really wish they used their heads. A colleague who uses this road was telling me that in the middle of this jam, there were cops fining people for no helmet instead of easing the congestion.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by tharian

Is there any reason for white-topping to be done during the day?

On such a busy road, they should have done this during the night which is usually what is done in case of tar. I cannot understand what BTP's thought process is when they have to handle this. Simply move the process to late nights and early morning hours and divert the traffic to one side of the road which is the usual process for asphalting more or less. Is it because the concrete will not dry fast enough during the night.

When they know very well this is going to be the result of working on a heavy traffic road during the day, the least they could have done was divert truck traffic to the outskirts. There is already an existing road that these trucks use to avoid coming into the city.
I respect BTP for whatever they do, but at times like these, I really wish they used their heads. A colleague who uses this road was telling me that in the middle of this jam, there were cops fining people for no helmet instead of easing the congestion.

Whether they do it at night or daytime doesnt matter. The road cannot be used for many days for the concrete to cure. They are also trying to fix the cables, drains etc at the same time.

[AltoLXI]

Originally Posted by tharian

Is there any reason for white-topping to be done during the day?

The apt question would be "Is there any reason for white-topping to be done on the ring road which is in good condition"? There are thousands of roads begging to be repaired across Bangalore on priority.

The answer would be : 2018 is an appraisal time for those in power.

Originally Posted by tharian

Simply move the process to late nights and early morning hours and divert the traffic to one side of the road which is the usual process for asphalting more or less. Is it because the concrete will not dry fast enough during the night.

Looking at the work that is going on, it would not be possible. They have dug the trenches across the road.

Originally Posted by tharian

When they know very well this is going to be the result of working on a heavy traffic road during the day, the least they could have done was divert truck traffic to the outskirts. There is already an existing road that these trucks use to avoid coming into the city.

Till last year they used stop trucks from entering the city. Now truck traffic has resumed again on this stretch.

Originally Posted by tharian

A colleague who uses this road was telling me that in the middle of this jam, there were cops fining people for no helmet instead of easing the congestion.

Makes sense for them. They need not wait in the dark behind some trees to catch the helmet less riders. Easier to just walk and fine the people. They have no chance of escaping.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

You can find 3 trucks in all 3 lanes while 50-80 cars are crawling behind each of these to find way to sneak in and move ahead .

The initial idea of building the Outer Ring Road was for trucks and heavy vehicles primarily so that they do not enter the city
Of course, over the years with residential and office space mushrooming in and around the ORR, the situation has drastically changed and the entire ORR is very much part of the city and it's traffic
What we need is a real "Outer" ring road like the one in Hyderabad and that can be used by truck and heavy traffic primarily.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by NPV

The initial idea of building the Outer Ring Road was for trucks and heavy vehicles primarily so that they do not enter the city
Of course, over the years with residential and office space mushrooming in and around the ORR, the situation has drastically changed and the entire ORR is very much part of the city and it's traffic

Reason why I already mentioned this :

Originally Posted by paragsachania

even if one may want to argue that it is outer ring road

I have been watching ORR since 2001 now and I know the way it has evolved as I worked in Whitefeld and Bellandur Areas and have been part of the ranting even when the underpasses and overpass were getting constructed from Hebbal to Silkboard.

Quite luckily If I may say so, I also witnessed the happening of NICE Road & BETL when I was employed with organization(s) in Electronics City and have taken innumerable free rides on both while toll was still not officially introduced.

And I so agree with you on what the ORR was built for and what it is being used for as on today. However, We are far (really far) from the way from implementing a rule to ban entry of heavy vehicles into these roads during day time while others have successfully done it. Despite of NICE there are a lot of trucks that take the ORR to reach Hosur road from Tumkur road every day.

What we need is a real "Outer" ring road like the one in Hyderabad and that can be used by truck and heavy traffic primarily.

The expansion of the National Highways around Dabaspet to Attibele will immensely help in future to shoo away the monsters.

Heck, during peak hours, even NICE Road is an ORR and daily takers like me and others will so agree with this, mainly for a major jolt that you get by spending 20 minutes on NICE road and 30 minutes to just exit that at Electronics City.

[redcruiser]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The expansion of the National Highways around Dabaspet to Attibele will immensely help in future to shoo away the monsters.

I think there is plan to develop peripheral ring road which will be ORR in actual sense.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by redcruiser

I think there is plan to develop peripheral ring road which will be ORR in actual sense.

The peripheral Ring road project till it's constructed is what I see as a "value add" for apartment developers to sell their properties by advertising it as "300 meters from upcoming peripheral ring road".

Till then, the combination of NH648 with others is already going to address many of the woes.

[Nalin1]

Update from Manyatha Embassy group is that BBMP has informed them that this white topping work on the ORR towards Horamavu Junction is expected to be completed in 15 days.

Will it actually be completed in 15 days?