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Bangalore's hall of shame - 3rd class treatment for Bus commuters @ Marathahalli
Written By silkboard - 20 June, 2011
Bangalore BMTC BBMP Marathahalli ORR Bus Citizen Reports Transportation public transport footpaths
Sometime ago, we discussed Bangalore hall of shame locations, and Marathahalli Outer Ring Road junction. After one round of work to 'improve' pavements where in they basically widened the roads connecting Outer Ring road and Varthur Road, and installed barricades to prevent pedestrian spill over, this junction has been left as it is.
I am estimating that 10000+ people (25 buses per hour, for 12 hours, boarding/alighting combined 20 passengers each) use the 4 bus stands around this junction. And they get the exceptional 3rd class treatment from BMTC, BBMP, and traffic police.
- No shelter for any of the 4 bus stands at the junction. Granted you can't expect all bus stands in the City to have shelters, but at this huge junction? How long do people have to wait for BMTC and BBMP's babus to move?
- Pathetic facilities for crossing the roads, Outer Ring Road at two points, Varthur Road upto four points. Focus is "through traffic", pedestrians just 'complicate' things for traffic police.
- Let us not even talk of information on BMTC's Buses. Let us keep to the basics first, waiting for the bus, and changing from one bus to another.
The shameful-est thing to see is how the pedestrians cross Varthur Road, and also Outer Ring Road right near that Kalamandir place. Earlier, through traffic on Varthur Road used to be green all the time (for either one of the directions). So pedestrians were just left to fend for themselves. Thankfully, about 4-5 months ago, things get better, there is now a 10 second slot for pedestrians to sprint through. People are expected to dash at half of Usain Bolt's pace, 50 meters in 10 seconds. Then, as if pedestrians are from animal planet, there is a barrier 10 meters before and after the signal to sort of tell us that crossing must take place right at the junction, on top of the Outer Ring Road underpass. With no clear signage, no zebra crossing marks, no enforcement of where the cars and buses wait at the junction, people walk 20 meters or more away from the junction to cross. Result? People people everywhere, crossing at will.
If you ask our enterprising Traffic Police, I am sure they would blame people - 'look, what can we do, they cross anywhere and everywhere'. WRONG. Make nice signs, make vehicles respect the zebra sign, give people 20 seconds to cross the road, construct a "holding" area on the median (instead of those 10-meter barricades). Then we will see.
Words can't describe the junction. We need to have a street photography event to capture this hall-of-shame spot. If 4-5 people are game, lets pick a date and just do it - take 20 good pictures and mail to media, BMTC, BBMP and Traffic Police.
Have some pics I have been taking, will upload them later as and when time permits.
COMMENTS

It is a nightmare on ORR for pedestrains
Vasanth - 20 June, 2011 - 10:05
Pedestrains have a nightmare on ORR where there are no facilities to cross the roads. Road is also wide, so it is a 100 metre race. There are no zebra crossings, no skywalks, no pedestrain underpasses. People using 500 series buses to companies have to struggle hard risking their lives against high speed traffic.
Anyone from Intel / Honeywell / Cisco / Accenture working on ORR campus can describe their pains. Companies and ORRCA not taking any initiative.

sanjayv - 20 June, 2011 - 07:35
Marathahalli Bridge Intersection is a Leading Hall of Shame candidate. I can give many stories, but the simplest way to express frustration is to say that (a) This is one place I make allowances in my "give way to pedestrian" policy because they are everywhere and if I had to stop to give way, I'd be there forever. (b) The junction, especially making the left from Kalamandir toward the rail overbridge is so chaotic that I am physically afraid of coming that way.I have been a safe driver with a good driving record for the past decade and half, but this turn is an absolute nightmare.
We need to take pictures, videos etc. and propose a plan for implementation. Completely with you SB. How about an event around the second weekend of July?

We should perhaps do some Brain Storming for solutions
psaram42 - 20 June, 2011 - 08:38
Once in a year I have attended [restricted] Seminars at CISTUP organized jointly with Praja and participation of all concerned departments. I am a bit surprised to know that such questions are asked even now on our site. SB here is my two pennies worth “solution methodology”.
-
“Town planning” of the city of Bangalore
- Audit the plan methodologies which could be adopted for alleviating present traffic anarchy. [BDA? Traffic Police?]
- Audit sanctions given for new construction like malls etc [who gives and on what authority] mantry mall comes to my mind. Later on widen roads. Road should have been widened before sanctioning the malls
-
Traffic lights
- Maintenance
- Operation [Time allocation for pedestrian lights]
- Design limitation applicability for max pedestrian density
- etc
-
Providing Pedestrian Underpasses at junctions
- To provide as and when required
- Decide / audit priorities
- For example beautiful pedestrian underpasses are provided for MLAs at their hostel which is under utilized
- Neglected where unbearable densities are existing
- Rectification of such anomalies
- Traffic Solutions Innovations

absolutely game. weekday will be best
silkboard - 20 June, 2011 - 09:02
Sanjay, as you would know, weekend wont wont work well as we won't get to see the magnitude of it. Are you game for a weekday morning 9 AM to walk around and take pics and videos? 30 mins to go around the junction, we would reach office a bit late. 4 people would be perfect - to cover the four sides of this junction in their cameras, and then we all upload. And then mail around to show everyone this is how pedestrians and bus commuters are treated by the City agencies of Bangalore.

excellent case study for "ball passing"
silkboard - 20 June, 2011 - 05:06
Warning - if you go to either of BBMP, BMTC or traffic police to suggest things, or complain (about this junction), you will be pointed towards the other. BMTC will point towards traffic police, and traffic police towards BMTC ("oh their drivers, we can only fine them") and BBMP and also BDA.
Somehow, when it comes to "managing traffic", all agencies show magical levels of collaboration. Sadly, when it comes to amenities for 3rd class citizens aka bus commuters, the collaboration goes missing.
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