Look for alternatives to flyovers, urge speakers

Look for alternatives to flyovers, urge speakers
Deccan Herald

As the City continues to sport an increasing number of flyovers, their existence in city limits is ironically irrelevant.

As the City continues to sport an increasing number of flyovers, their existence in city limits is ironically irrelevant.

Speaking on ‘Decongesting traffic and Global Best Practices’ organised by the Basavanagudi Nagarikara Vedike, Mr Narayan Gowda, Department of Transportation and Water Resources, State of California, USA, said flyovers would serve their best purpose only on freeways.

As the Vedike is raising its voice against the proposed building of an underpass and a flyover over the Ramakrishna Circle, Bull Temple Road, Mr Gowda said the project would not only destroy the essence of the historic building of the Ramkrishna Math, it would also pose problems like leaking drains, etc.

Alternatives

Stating that there were alternative methods for effective traffic management, he said, “In places where flyovers and underpasses are inappropriate, traffic has been effectively managed using synchronised traffic lights with road dividers and minimal one-ways,” adding that this would hold good in case of Ramakrishna Circle too.

He also said that only those roads that have peak hour traffic were to be widened for faster traffic flow, while increasing public transportation would facilitate immediate repair of any road damages.

The members state that with the authorities not discussing or sharing details with the public, pertaining to the data, the alternatives or cost estimates of projects, ‘blunders’ like the National College flyover will continue to occur.

M S Nanjundiah, former senior operations adviser, World Bank, former Government of India Official, said that a systematic traffic plan for the entire area was the call of the hour.

Residents of the area are complaining about the seepage of the drainage next to the National College flyover and are very unhappy about the flyover.

“If overbridges or flyovers are being brought down in San Fransisco because they are posing a liability, why can’t we do the same here too,” was the general opinion about doing away with the National College flyover.