Make roads efficient

Make roads efficient
Farook Mahmood

One of the major problems plaguing the city is its inefficient roads. There are some pieces which are wasted along the stretches and others blocked with debris and trash. This takes away precious space and creates bottlenecks. These obstructions should be cleared for a smoother traffic flow. This needs some planning and forethought from the planning stage.
Let’s take the case of the city’s road-widening project. Around 33 roads in the city are being widened using the Transfer of Developmental
Rights route. But there are no busbays. They can acquire a bit more land and create busbays, so traffic won’t pile up every time a bus stops on the road.
Hawkers and vendors with pushcarts make Bangalore roads a marketplace. People who stop their vehicles to buy from these vendors add to the chaos. Footpaths too are occupied by vendors.
A large amount of land is held in the city by the defence authorities. Much of the defence land is also not in use. These tracts can be used to broaden existing roads and create new roads. Efficient parking spaces can be created here. The defence land could be sourced for underground parking with surface use remaining with them.
There are many roads without a median. Considering that drivers don’t follow lane discipline, we need to put medians on every road that prevent drivers from cutting onto oncoming traffic in an attempt to overtake those in front.
Enforcement and rules are not complete nor are they the only solution to traffic woes of the city. Citizens need to be sensitized to the issue. This can be done through education. At school and college level, different aspects of driving such as safety, lane discipline and etiquette should be inculcated. This is a long-term measure that will pay off.
The time has come to create a dedicated lane for highspeed transport. This will ensure that people are not forced to slow down to accommodate autos, two-wheelers and lorries. If bigger private vehicles are given a high-speed lane, then road congestion will be eased.
It’s not about creating infrastructure, it’s about using it effectively. Public-private partnership projects can be commissioned for traffic management.
(The writer is the president of National Association of Realtors - India)