Municipal workers to fine traffic violators?

silkboard - 22-MAY-2008

Refer the news in papers today - "BBMP has warned residential and commercial complexes that don't allow visitor parking inside their premises. As per the byelaw, they must reserve 10% of the parking space for visitors".

Now, see this development along with an interesting news reported this week (source biz-standard): "MP Govt has created Urban Transport Authority which will make local bodies and traffic police work together ... fine collected ... will be used to raise funds for better traffic management, more parking space ... so far, the police used to deposit fines in state treasury".

Driving - what are the chances ...

fightcorruption.co.in - 15-MAY-2008

What are the chances of you reaching the destination in time and alive if you are driving and followed all traffic rules?

In defence of the traffic police!!

vmenon - 14-MAY-2008

In the "unlocking bangalore" debate I come from 2 or 3 contexts.

a) I believe there is at least 30% capacity on our roads which are wasted by non adherence and non implementation of the law( both traffic laws and a myriad of civic laws )

b) I believe that of the various enforcers/government bodies out there ,the traffic police is one of the better ones , but who are are always at the worst end of the stick, tremendously underresourced and unempowered.

Car-free day

murali772 - 23-APR-2008

Best Practices for Bangalore

Bengloorappa - 8-APR-2008

I am trying to enlist here some of the best practices that I have seen/heard about City Management. Please feel free to add, edit/dissect as you may please.

1. Locality based Infrastructure Management - A la Delhi model can be adopted by empowering local Residents' associations, where available, to get Infrastructure like Roads, Parks, Water and Waste management managed and maintained on a locality basis and make engineers and other city corporation employees answerable to such associations as well as to their own management. This can lead to quick addressal of grievances and form power centres for effective infra management. In Delhi, residents' associations are headed by retired govt. employees who have plenty of time on their hands and a vision for their locality.

Trucks, buses and autos without tail lights

pbanavara - 7-APR-2008

A simple tail light can save thousands of mishaps that occur on highways and even on city roads. Yet, most of the transport oriented vehicles including BBMP buses, trucks and autos have no tail lights. It's a horrid sore scene to see the lack of tail lights on almost all of these vehicles. They are a hazard mostly on high speed zones - such as ORR and highways. Obviously 'high speed' is a relative term used in comparison with city roads.

Story of Bangalore traffic - in pictures

silkboard - 15-JAN-2008

This is how it begins, so I told you a few months ago. Nothing but a no-parking sign in June. Small shops sprung up in August. September: two wheelers parked and pedestrians off the pavements. Now, no-parking sign is almost gone, and road-side parking is common on Varthur road, right next to the busy Kundalahalli intersection. Unregulated construction, irresponsible small businesses who think roads are free parking space, motorists with scant respect for no-parking signs, and no enforcement of pedestrian rights (pavements are almost gone) - this my friends, is the story of most roads and intersections in Bangalore with annoying traffic congestions. Pictures tell the story - Aug, Sep and Jan:

BTRAC - Cat eyes, Hazard blinkers coming next

silkboard - 12-JAN-2008

While flipping through the papers today, I noticed this KRDCL tender inviting bids (link here) for some interesting things that included road side traffic sign boards (Rs 2.7 crores), cat eyes (57.7 lakhs), hazard blinkers, movable cones, barricades and more - all in all about Rs 5 crore worth of stuff. Not a lot of money, but lets keep watching for these traffic management equipment to appear.

How do you react?

silkboard - 18-DEC-2007

[flickr-photo:id=2120083156,size=m][flickr-photo:id=2120084172,size=m] Before I start on a long rant with my reactions, thoughts and ideas, tell me this. How should one react or behave on seeing things like these? And what should change to prevent these drivers from resorting to these shortcuts?

Black City, Bangalore

tsubba - 9-DEC-2007

In traffic jargon a black spot is a locations in the city where accidents happen with regular frequency. The areas around such black spots are called black areas. A study by Sudhir and Akbar of Secon Pvt Ltd., reveals why Bangalore is a black city. Excerpts from that study ...