For years, a short stretch of flyover in downtown Bangalore drew sniggers and jokes바카라right at the top, believe it or not, was a traffic signal where vehicles from two ramps crossed. When the signal was done away with, authorities put down a clumsy divider of concrete blocks which always fell out of place because motorists rearranged them to squeeze through. Film-maker Pawan Kumar remembers driving up the Richmond Circle flyover on a rainy night with trepidation. The experience led to his 2016 Kannada film U-TurnÂÂ바카라ÂÂa supernatural thriller in which two-wheeler riders who sneaked past the median met a mysterious end.
바카라The film worked because people saw it as any traffic violation that can come and hurt you,바카라 he tells Outlook. 바카라I바카라m all for steep traffic penalties.바카라
The MV Act surely has had an effect바카라officials note a 15-20 per cent rise in applications at the Regional Transport Offices in recent weeks as motorists queue up to get their papers in order. Just on September 18, the Bangalore police totted up Rs 34.72 lakh in penalties바카라topping the list of breaches were helmet-less riding, haphazard parking and jumping signals.
More than any other city, Bangalore바카라s traffic woes get top billing바카라with good reason. It hasn바카라t had any significant road expansion since the early 2000s, points out activist R.K. Misra. 바카라Given the huge vehicle population, there바카라s also massive violation of traffic laws,바카라 he says. 바카라Now, if the government is going to reduce the fines, it바카라d be a retrograde step.바카라
The Karnataka government, which notified the new penalties three weeks ago, is currently vetting legal issues involved in a revision. The rethink, says an official, was because the fines are 바카라pinching the public바카라.
바카라Even with low traffic fines, if you link (penalties) to the right-to-drive itself, it바카라s possible to build something more equitable,바카라 says Ashwin Mahesh, an urban affÂairs expert. Suspending driving licences or even cancelling them is a deterrent too, he reckons. As for traffic fines creating room for corruption, Mahesh points out an anomaly that can be set right: 바카라India is somewhat unusual when it comes to fine-collection. Officers on the road collect fines. It바카라s not done anywhere else.바카라
In the past five years, Bangalore has registered 2.6 million two-wheelers and cars, while the bus service added no new buses. 바카라With more buses, people will switch from private vehicles. Right now it바카라s a vicious cycle,바카라 argues Vinay Sreenivasa of Bangalore Bus Prayanikara Vedike. Still, the Bangalore MetÂropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), with 6,513 buses, runs the largest fleet in India. Of course, public transport in Bangalore depends on buses, unlike in Mumbai and Chennai, which have local train networks.
As for the Metro, which recently clocked its highest daily ridership of 4.58 lakh passengers during a festival weekend, just the initial 42 km stretch is operational at present. The city바카라s IT hubs of Whitefield and Electronics City will only be connected in Phase 2, which is stymied by land acquisition delays.
Agrees Ashwin Mahesh. 바카라We really need to build a very large network of walkable streets and double the bus fleet. Fundamentally, it바카라s the poorest who need this,바카라 he says. Though the main thoroughfares in Bangalore바카라s central
district have been revamped in recent years, much of its growth바카라and its infrastructure problems바카라relate to the vast outlying localities added to the municipality a decade ago.
바카라There is a misconception in the way we imagine public expÂenditure for mobility,바카라 says Mahesh. 바카라We are willing to spend tens of crores on building motorways and virtually nothing on walking. Ideally, we should develop 1,500 roads across the city to be pedestrian-friendly.바카라 Mahesh suggests taking up at least 10 road clusters, based on pedestrian accident rates and commercial activity, in order to improve accessibility.
Indeed, various ideas have come up바카라app-based bicycle rentals, for instance. 바카라Essentially, shared mobility is one way by which you can reduce congestion,바카라 says R.K. Misra, an investor in Yulu Bikes. Plans for a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority for Bangalore has been in the works, though the idea isn바카라t new바카라a common body had been created 12 years ago to coordinate land transport. Will a fresh, coordinated appÂroach finally solve Bangalore바카라s knotty transportation challenges?
By Ajay Sukumaran in Bangalore
