Techies call off stir after Govt. assures action

Techies drop dharna
Times of India

Bangalore: IT won’t happen on Friday — the dharna by techies on Hosur Road against traffic jams. The Electronics City Industries Association (ELCIA) has called off the protest following an assurance from the state government that it will act. Chief minister Dharam Singh is expected to convene a high-level meeting on October 18 to take a decision on decongesting the traffic on Hosur Road.

ELCIA has put forth certain demands

The Electronic City Industries Association (ELCIA) has called off the protest planned on Hosur Road on October 15 following an assurance from the government on better traffic management.

In a letter to the Association, the government said that the chief minister Dharam Singh would call a high-level meeting on October 18 to take a decision on decongesting the traffic on Hosur Road. ELCIA was planning to protest against the traffic conditions on Hosur Road and inadequate response from the government to tackle the condition.

ELCIA president H. Prakash Rao said the Association was hoping that the CM would take immediate measures to improve the traffic condition on Hosur Road. Electronic City is home to 100 companies employing about 45,000 employees. ELCIA has, however, put out other demands to be met by the police, BDA, and other government organisations on an immediate basis.

THE LIST OF DEMANDS

What the police have to do

•Traffic to be stopped between Silk Board Junction and Bommasandra on Hosur Road in either directions during peak hours (between 8 am and 10.30 am; 5 pm and 8.30 pm). (My note: Just how on earth can traffic be stopped? Do they mean truck traffic)

•All buses must halt only at the designated bus bays.

•Adequate traffic police personnel to be deployed to man the traffic at all major junctions on Hosur Road. At present, only three junctions come under the jurisdiction of the city traffic police.

NH authorities

The state highway has already done the necessary framework and these works should be executed by January 2005.

•Existing Attibele-Sarjapur Road to be made four-lane and should be connected to NH 207 to divert HTVs.

•Existing Link Road from NH-7 (Bangalore-Hosur Road) to Sarjapur Road: This road, passing via Mico, Parapppanna Agrahara Central Jail, Matha Amrutha Institute of Technology, Kikondanahalli, is in bad condition. The state highway authorities have necessary technical data of this road. The repair of this road must be taken up on a priority basis.

•Existing link road connecting Kudlu Junction and Sarjapur Road: This road stretching from Kudlu Gate to Sarjapur Road can also ease the traffic on Hosur Road.

•Existing link road from Electronic City joining Bannerghatta Road: This road will help in easing the traffic on Hosur Road, as it will provide link roads to employees residing in South West Bangalore.

•Existing link road from Singasandra and Bannerghatta Road: The existing route passes through Singasandra, Begur, Vijaya Bank Colony and joins Bannerghatta Road at Arakere. The maintenance work of this road has to be taken up at the earliest to ease congestion on Hosur Road.

And the BDA

•BDA is planning to develop IT Corridor between Ibbalur Camp and Electronic City Phase II. There is a road planned from Ibbalur Junction (on Sarjapur Road) to Electronic City, Phase II. This should be implemented by March 2005.

•The peripheral road work which the BDA is planning, needs to be approved and taken up. After its completion, the traffic problem will ease to a great extent.

•The condition of roads passing through HSR Layout is bad. As these act as an important road to Hosur Road, these roads need to be asphalted.


Other reports

New Indian Express
The Statesman
Deccan Herald