Fix the nitty-gritty before going to the drawing board

Fix the nitty-gritty before going to the drawing board
H S BALRAM


Bangaloreans have been shouting from the rooftops about bad infrastructure, poor connectivity and inadequate civic amenities. The government and its civic agencies have been tearing their hair to find solutions. Guess what a team of experts from the US who toured the city, had to say? Set right basic things first. Illuminate streets. Rid roads of potholes. Lay good pavements. Keep traffic signals working. Once these are fixed, the city will get back on to the rails. Follow it up with short and longterm projects.
It took them just a few hours to diagnose the ills and suggest easy solutions. Sadly, the local authorities have been ignoring these basic things and blindly harping on long-term, multicrore projects — most of which have remained on paper, and work on others is painfully slow. The experts further said there was not much difference in the technology used in the US and here. The difference showed in poor execution, lack of public accountability and absence of concrete policies.
The experts were baffled by the anarchy on our roads. All kinds of vehicles racing against each other — bicycles, tongas, bullock carts, autorickshaws, scooters, motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses and what not. No road discipline. Crazy driving habits. Vehicles overtaking, many a time from the left. Pedestrians crisscrossing dangerously. Signboards missing or faded out. Medians out of shape. Safety overlooked.
According to them, the city badly needs effective policies, immediate enforcement and effective coordination between various agencies. A strong social responsibility system in the form of public accountability is required. People should start identifying these problems and hold the civic bodies accountable.
The observations are not really new. Citizens have been bringing them to the notice of those who matter. They are also keen to help. But who listens? The civic agencies engage themselves in passing the buck, playing the blame game, giving excuses, making tall promises, doing shoddy work when pressure mounts... Ask any official about a civic problem. He has facts and figures running into pages to explain why the problem exists and who is responsible. Ask him about a solution. He is clueless. There is no sincerity, responsibility or accountability.
What prevents the authorities from keeping roads free from potholes? What stops them from preparing good footpaths, and ensuring that they are used only by pedestrians and not by street hawkers? Can’t they ensure that the streets are well-lit to help fast movement of vehicles and prevent accidents? If trees obstruct, why can’t smaller poles be installed? Won’t it also deter muggers? Why shouldn’t legible signboards be put up at vantage points? Why don’t many traffic signals work? Is it difficult for the police to drive some sense into the heads of erratic and irresponsible drivers? Are these difficult to implement?
Once these basic things are set right, traffic is bound to move smoothly. And if work on bigger projects like Metro Rail, elevated roads, expressways, flyovers, underpasses, subways, footbridges, etc., is put on fast track, commuting in Bangalore will be comfortable. That experts from abroad have to teach us a lesson or two is a matter of shame. We have the talent. We have the resources. We have the manpower. What we lack is the will to do.