Driving in Namma Bengluru: Bellary Road is Unique. Is there hope for Bengaluru?

I spoke in my earlier blog about the challenges of driving in the newly absorbed areas  in which village mentality still persists. Sadly the challenges persist even on Bellary Road, an important artery of the city. The challenges vary depending on the time of the day. At  peak hours the traffic inches forward and at non-peak hours it appears to be a 'formula' drivers paradise. These drivers have no care about themselves or concern for others. They just set a direction and they speed on. Especially the heavy motor bikes go at alarming speeds as they weave around slower vehicles. The bigger vehicles  tag you close and try to push you out of their predetermined line. It is of no concern to them on which lane you are on. In fact, no one knows or cares about either the slow lane or the fast lane. You are free to choose a lane and decide your own speed. It is a sight to see them as these formula drivers rev up at a signal as it changes from Red to Green. Signals are moody, Sometimes they change from RED to GREEN or vice versa in a flash. Sometimes they show YELLOW to caution you of their change of colors. Sometimes RED and GREEN co-exist. The RED glares and the GREEN goes blinking! Perhaps more about unique roads at another time! I have some serious suggestions!

These pictures, thanks to google ,show some inherent problems which could have been foreseen.

This is the Jakkur junction. Turning right from the  lower Bellary Road
below the express way is tough and confusing as the signals allow  a right turn
from both the service road and the main road at the same time.
Sequencing should help.
And if Jakkur Aerodrome yields  a bit of land, the bottleneck at
the junction can be removed!

This area is a nightmare during the peak period.
The road like the river Cauvery widens and narrows at different points.
In the mornings and evenings the vehicles fill up the space available
and the traffic inches forward as five or six lanes becomes just two! 
The road is made like a jar with a narrow neck
 and it is tough for the vehicles of different shapes and sizes
to extricate themselves as they just fit in like a jigsaw puzzle .
It is obvious that they will be stuck but they keep piling on!
There were grandiose plans for a steel bridge which is on back burner due to protests.
I am sure experts can find solutions at lesser cost but is anybody at it?
When I see the plight of scooter riders I feel sorry for them
It should be possible to design a 3 lane road for them separately
either on the express ways or preferably on the service roads. 

Another example of a Venturi 

At Mekhri circle area if the Defense department
 yields some land, the exit towards Jayamahal etc., will become easier.
In fact, there are many such points on the outer ring road
going towards Tumkur road which could benefit this generosity.
The area opposite Cauvery Theatre expansion work seems to be in a limbo .
 There could be at least lanes for scooters here where the road narrows down . 

As I thought about this unique Bellary road I remembered 'City Connect'. It is an eyeopener to read about efforts made by City Connect  (https://cityconnect.in/node/31.) 
I  was lucky to attend a meeting of City Connect about ten years ago. Impressive that city connect and various government agencies had worked together to sort out the mess that was prevalent on the 'new' airport road. 

The new airport is impressive. I remember the traumatic entry into our dear Bengaluru at the old HAL airport . Let us forget the chaos inside the airport. It took us an hour to get out of the parking lot at the airport. The drivers had callously parked their cars anywhere and gone missing from the cars. Police were helpless  managing our incorrigible Bangalore citizens. We always blame others as responsible for the mess around us. I daresay there are a number of  'irresponsible' people who throng in our so called civil city.

However there is hope. We have done a great job with KIA and have managed to get people behave at the New Airport. So why not work on our roads and make it the pride of our city?
It is good to know a few roads have been made using the TENDER SURE concepts and a few more are being made. It is a humongous task and would need enormous amounts of money! 

Anyway let me highlight a few points made on the website:    

Our planners favor motorised private vehicles at the expense of other modes like public transport and non-motorized options like cycles. Walking is not even considered a mobility mode and they are often left to manage with what’s left of the road!  Consequently we see unplanned road widening projects to make more space for motorized vehicles. This is particularly the case for Bangalore where the government has experimented with TDR (Transferable Development Rights) as currency for road widening.

The idea of City Connect is based on a core premise – if folks outside of government can work with government on areas of urban governance, there can be better, beneficial outcomes to improve quality of living in cities. The City Connect members bring in ideas, angel fund proof of concept projects and involve volunteers.

The key elements of the Tender SURE project are  road design, tendering and execution! Currently road projects in Bangalore are commissioned on very ‘thin’ project proposals. Sometimes they are started with just a paper sketch of what needs to be done. 

Lot of planning needs to be done including, soil tests, total station surveys, traffic studies, etc. The terms of reference to be laid out for better contracts. But, it is not done. 

Hierarchy of road users

The pedestrian is at the heart of the plan under Tender SURE. They are followed by provisioning for cycles, public transport and lastly motorised private vehicles. So whenever there is a design conflict to be resolved, this hierarchy will guide the decisions. For example, to the extent possible, pedestrians’ crossing at grade is desirable. This also aids in traffic calming measures. Cycle lanes need protection from motorized vehicles. Public transport is acknowledged as the necessary mode for sustainable mobility over time. The design ensures smoother flow for them and provisioning for bays, accessibility modes is paramount.    

Traditionally pedestrian lane width allotment is based on what’s possible after the motor vehicle needs are taken care of. Under Tender SURE, they get pole position in the plan. Another trait of city roads is the varying width for motor vehicles depending on land availability. Under Tender SURE, the motor vehicles get uniform lanes and in the city centre these could be even 3 metre lanes. The surplus land area is used to provide islands, bus bays, hawker zones, etc.

Road cutting is a huge menace and disturbance for commuters across the city. This is because there is a need to access utilities for repair and the utility firms often have no clue of their asset lines below the existing roads and footpath. If one reckons the initial capital cost of the roads and its subsequent maintenance / repair costs, there is a case of underground duct provisioning at the outset (higher capital outlay) that leads to low running costs. The latter approach is advocated under Tender SURE.

Another major innovation is getting multiple government and private utilities as part of the road design and execution at the outset. 

It is hoped over time that with increasing transparency of government project execution, there would be space for interested citizen volunteers to be part of the project implementation phase

.....while the jury is out on how it pans out finally, this experiment represents the potential. possibilities of civil society and government working collaboratively to make a difference in Indian cities. 

( As I read this optimistic idealistic approach, I wondered if it will ever go beyond the trials stage. It needs a total change in the way we operate! As look at the Bangalore Map on Google I wonder if it is already too late! Hope not!)