Cabinet nod for helipads

Cabinet nod for helipads
VIJAY TIMES NEWS BANGALORE : The State Cabinet on Monday okayed the megacity and helipad proposals of the police department, conceived to contain the increasing traffic congestion on City roads. The department had submitted a detailed plan of the megacity project to the government last year.

The police had opined that in order to avoid traffic disruptions during VIP visits, helipads be built at many places in the City. The police rationale was that VIPs, including ministers, would prefer to use helicopters once the helipads were in place, thus cutting down on traffic congestion. The department has zeroed in on ISRO, BEL, HMT, Bangalore University, the IT park in K R Puram, Electronic City, the Yelahanka-Jalahalli Air Force Station, Raj Bhavan, Vidhana Soudha and important five-star hotels as suitable sites for the purpose.

As part of its arguments in favour of its projects, the department has pointed out that Bangalore has currently 23 lakh motor vehicles, of which 17 lakh are twowheelers, for a road network that has a capacity for only seven lakh vehicles. This compares unfavourably with Mumbai, which has 13 lakh motor vehicles of which three lakh are two-wheelers.

The department has noted that it is a herculean task to manage traffic movement at Hosur, Old Madras Road, Tumkur Road and Airport Road. On roads connecting many five-star hotels, traffic gets halted every day at least for an hour. The department has noted that it is extremely difficult to manage traffic during the 9 am-4 pm period.

On the positive side, the department feels that with the fast-progressing metro rail project, traffic in future may be manageable. BANGALORE HAS CURRENTLY 23 LAKH MOTORVEHICLES , OF WHICH 17 LAKHARETWO WHEELERS , FORA ROAD NETWORK THAT HASA CAPACITY FOR ONLY SEVEN LAKHVEHICLES