Developmental projects: Pedestrians get raw deal

Developmental projects: Pedestrians get raw deal
DH News Service, Bangalore:
Urban planners have hardly any concern for pedestrians and instead the infrastructure projects are being planned keeping in mind only the owners of four-wheeler,observed the retired additional chief secretary to the State government, Chiranjeev Singh.


At a seminar on “Land Acquisition in North Bangalore for Infrastructure Development” in Bangalore on Saturday, Singh said in developed countries pedestrians are given priority while planning infrastructure projects. Cyclists enjoy the second preference. Car owners are given the least priority. But in India it is the opposite. Here projects are planned to please car owners, as the officers who plan the projects themselves travel in car. Switzerland, he said, has only one international airport. But in India every city wants to have its own international airport. Should the city have development projects only to make air travellers reach their destination at the cost of neglecting the general public? Air travel has been contributing more to global warming than any other mode of transportation, he observed.

Faster trains have already been plying in many countries. In a span of two-three years India too will have fast trains. It is better to promote fast trains in place of aeroplanes, he suggested.

Cherian, representing the Devanahalli Airport Expressway Association said the proposed expressway from Banaswadi outer ring road to Devanahalli Airport is not viable, he said.

As much as 80 per cent of international airport travellers would prefer Bellary Road rather than the proposed expressway, since it is the shortest route to reach the centre of the city. Instead of spending Rs 3,000 crore on the proposed expressway, the government should take measures to widen Bellary Road, he observed. It was jointly organised by Civicspace, Citizens Voluntary Initiative for the City and North Bangalore Citizens’ Group