COMMENTS

If public transport service is improved, it naturally results in lesser vehicle density. What measures are taken to meeting this growing demand?

BMTC cannot cope up with the needs, however much they may appear to have become efficient, which they are not and cannot be, as long as they continue to enjoy a monopoly status - check this, and this

Scrap TDRs immediately

Instead, perhaps pursue this

Stop awarding projects to private contractors and builders. Government and civic agencies should take up all infrastructure development activities

The only arm of the government that undertakes work on its own is the PWD, and entrusting anything to them will be like inviting disaster - check this. What is required is engaging of reputed designers and contractors

Take measures to prevent vertical growth in the central parts of the city

Densification is an accepted norm in large and growing cities, and it has its advantages.

While on the subject, check this out also

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 If public transport service is improved,

What is "improved"? Pl quantify/qualify. There are useless routes all running on main roads not touching the inside layouts. How do these help?

Stop awarding projects to private contractors and builders. Government and civic agencies should take up all infrastructure development activities

Why? So the protests against bad infrastructure can be a permanant feature in Bangalore? Instead insist on quality contractors and remove the lowest quote rule. If you want good facilities you cant pay peanuts or line the pockets. Fix the problem not the symptom.

Take measures to prevent vertical growth in the central parts of the city

Why? How does this save Bangalore? Monitoring the quality of vertical growth is important. Density needs to be retained around Public transport corridors. There is a needs to evaluate each project carefully and ask for features from the builder which will assist in making the densification fruitful and beneficial.

This attachment has too much generic ill-informed gyan passing off as pro development. Cannot be taken seriously. However I support their demand to get more information on the reasons and rationale for the set of roads chosen for road widening. We need to understand and help connect to how it fits into the overall scheme of things (if there is one), have alternates been considered? How those alternates can be realized. 

Commuter rail plug coming up

Ensuring availability of frequent train based mass transit to neighbouring cities is important to spread the density. Combined with proper zoning in these neighbouring growth centers it will help make housing affordable

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Three things which will widen the existing roads

Public Transport

Lane Discipline: State Government should hire more Police to enforce traffic regulations on these roads which are planned for widening.

Foot path

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Save Bangalore concept is good one and need to be pushed further.

As IDS has mentioned, Public Transport need to be improved with multiple options like BMTC / METRO / Local Trains ( Commuter Rail ).  Charge heavily  for parking  on major roads say Rs 40/- per Hrs as done in Mumbi.

Save Bangalore should voice for the Local Trains / Commuter Train and should demand the MPs and MLA's to  get the Local Trains along with METRO. Then their is no need for the Road Widening. Local Train issue is  dragging for two Decades and always importance is given to Road widening.

Hope tomorrow, they raise the issue of Local Trains. All the best for the convention.

Sanjeev

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First of all, I would offer my compliments to Save Bangalore Convention organisers for doing something more than what typical bloggers do - organise the citizens on a matter that concerns us and the future of our city! I have not come across any such attempt on a scale that covers the entire city on this issue of road widening by any individual or group in the past. I do know about ABIDe and such other groups that work with the establishment and conduct public interaction but there is none that is by the people, for the people and of the people - in a true democratic spirit!

While one may agree with some of their demands and perhaps, disgree on the others, I think, the attachment does capture the most improtant questions on public mind on this issue of road widening. I think, the group has caught the crux of the problem, which is 'for whom are all these developmental works meant for?' and all their argument revolves around doing things for the public and NOT for bureaucrats, politicians or contarctors which is the trend today.

Secondly, I did not find any data points that can be called ill-informed. In fact, my goolging provided me the information in more or less same lines!

Thirdly, I don't think they need to 'quantify' the number of buses, frequency of buses etc.. being a citizens' group but have raised the right point that public transport should have reliability, comprehensive connectivity, optimal frequency and affordability and that will be an effective check against increasing traffic density. Let town-planners and architects of repute and integrity do that job but under public supervision namely government, civis agencies and most importantly, vigilant citizens and citizen forums.

Apart from public transport, even measures like green lanes or road congestion tax for large private vehicles need to be considered.

Overall, all the best to their convention and I - for one - would definitely participate!

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