Roads to breathe easy in 6 months: CM

B-TRAC LAUNCH
Roads to breathe easy in 6 months: CM
The Times of India

Bangalore: Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy wants to achieve the impossible — cleanse the city’s traffic system in six months!

Elucidating on the B-TRAC programme announced in the state budget, Kumaraswamy launched the “Tenpoint programme for the improvement of Bangalore city traffic’’ on Thursday. It boasts of proposals to ease the traffic juggernaut of Bangalore and transform it into a Singapore or any global metropolis. The B-TRAC is also an initiative which, under the umbrella banner of Bangalore Traffic Task Force, brings together civic agencies including the BMP, BDA, KSRTC, BMTC, Bescom, BWSSB and the Bangalore traffic police.

Soon after the launch, Kumaraswamy declared: “In six months, the traffic situation in Bangalore will be totally different. We need to take some important decisions, the new government has had many meetings with officials of BMP, BDA, BMTC, traffic police etc. I have had suggestions on infrastructure from all strata of society. The plans we have for traffic management is a step in easing the chaos.’’

The project estimated at Rs 350 crore, has an allocation of Rs 44 crore in this year’s budget alone.

The B-TRAC project is significant in the light of Bangalore’s traffic quagmire — 2.4 million vehicles are supposed to ply on 4,500 km of road length. The city’s traffic volume is second in the country, next to New Delhi. Some roads like Airport Road, Bellary Road, Hosur Road, Mysore Road carry over 10,000 PCUs, five times more than what they have been designed to carry.

Police commissioner Ajai Kumar Singh and M N Reddi made presentations of some measures envisaged to ease traffic chaos — dedicated bus lanes, central area traffic decongestion, no-auto zones, parking management.

However, the programme was silent on the Bangalore Metropolitan Parking Authority, which was announced in the state budget.

For more information/suggestions, citizens can log onto: www.bcp.gov.in

Volvos all the way: Kumaraswamy has some cheery news for citizens — he asked the BMTC to introduce 1,000 more Volvos to ply all over the city.

“The BMTC has good Volvo buses, but right now they cater to citizens mainly in the IT corridor. I think it would be a good idea to have more Volvos to dissuade college-goers, the youth and employees of various companies, from using private transport,’’ he said.

Incidentally, the 1,000 new Volvos also have a time-frame: six months Pay-and-park still in limbo: Police commissioner Ajai Kumar Singh said there had been no development on the pay-and-park issue. Though the police want the system re-introduced in the city, there had been no communication from the BMP as yet.

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT

ROAD ENGINEERING
Drain improvement
— Removal and diversion of surface water at 30 locations Junction redesign
— Widening of the mouth of intersections at 50 junctions Right of way clearance
— Clearing of obstructing trees, utilities such as electric poles, transformers
Asphalting for a smooth drive across 200 km
Medians to separate opposing streams of traffic
Road marking to provide for clear delineation and guidance for road users


PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
Passenger info system ready at 5 major routes
Bus bays at 50 locations so that buses do not block main traffic
Relocation of auto stands at 50 places
Relocation of bus stands at 100 places
Bus rapid transit system or dedicated busways
Pre-paid auto stands at 50 places to facilitate travel by auto-rickshaws


PARKING MANAGEMENT
Park and ride — Providing parking facilities at bus depots for motorists to park there and travel to city centre
Restriction of onstreet parking at 50 locations
Mini parking lots at 25 places


PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES
Restorationof 100 km of footpaths
Barricadingof footpaths across 10,000 mts
Raised crosswalks/Pelican signals at 50 locations
Pedestrian walkovers at 10 locations


TRAFFIC CONTROL AND REGULATION
Tubular cones for ensuring lane discipline
Deployment of 500 Home Guards for better regulation
Vehicle actuated and synchronised traffic signal system
Traffic signage on 300 km of arterial roads
Traffic control centre, monitoring cameras and variable message systems


TRAFFIC EDUCATION
Education campaignsto educate road users on various precautionary measures

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Banning of right and U-turns at 30 locations
Banning of entry of certain types of vehicles at 50 locations
Local Area Traffic Management Plans at 6 areas
Dedicated auto lanes at 20 roads

TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT
Suspension/revocation of driving licences for repeat offenders

PUBLIC INTERFACE
Traffic help desk to address citizens’ traffic grievances
Local area committees to voice problems faced in respective residential areas
Projects to improve traffic conditions to be taken up through public-private partnership


ROAD SAFETY
Accidentanalysis and reduction programme where 100 most accident-prone locations will be treated
School area safety to improve road safety of children around schools