Good roads, smooth ride and much more

Good roads, smooth ride and much more
The Times of India

Bangalore: IT interactions of the last 20 days have certainly helped Bangalore: Not only is the state taking up immediate measures to alleviate the Silicon city’s problems, but exciting plans are on the anvil for the next phase also.

After Friday’s infrastructure committee meeting that kick-started work on five roads and last week’s meeting with IT chieftains, chief secretary B K Das told The Times of India: “Our short-term plans will ensure a smooth ride and better vehicular movement, as we are upgrading the roads and ensuring people go on the improved pavements. But these are just the immediate measures...’’

The long-term plans are the result of a fresh spirit of cooperation that has sprung up between the administration and the IT sector. The government is planning to take the publicprivate partnership further: Akin to the Ahmedabad model, the state wants to throw open Bangalore’s arterial roads —- like M G Road and J C Road — to private sector maintenance.

“We have already taken up Airport Road and Bannerghatta Road under the PPP model. We are now considering arterial roads. Private players can put up advertisements on the road and give funds for its maintenance. If there is a gap, the BCC can step in and fund it,’’ Das said.
Ahmedabad has already done it, with its main road, Ashram Road, being funded entirely by the business community.

Now, after Airport Road and Bannerghatta Road, lighting of arterial Hosur Road beyond the limits of the BCC up to Chandapura with private help has been discussed.

The old BATF model is set for a reworking. Instead of involving just IT sector in infrastructure development, the CS said there were plans to take it forward into a “planning think tank’’ comprising other industry representatives, intellectuals. “All this will happen in six months, once we clear the immediate problem of the congested business district. The second phase will aim at solving problems of old Bangalore areas, which will be taken up from February,’’ Das added.