It’s a bumpy ride...

It’s a bumpy ride...

Posted On Monday, September 15, 2008

Mohandas Pai, HR head, Infosys:
The condition of roads in Bangalore are bad because of the bad standards and corruption. There should be more transparency and better quality control if this crisis has to end. Standards have to revised.

Ramesh Ramanathan, founder, Janaagraha:
Bangalore has extended its area from 250 km to 750 km in the recent past. The number of roads has tripled, there are many reasons that have resulted in the bad condition of roads in the city. The lobby behind awarding of contracts, lack of enthusiasm of the government institutions and corruption are all contributing factors.

A S Murthy, theatre personality:
Travelling on Bangalore roads has become very difficult. People are comfortable in their chairs and do not want to get up from their seats to share the plight of the common man. They do not want to get up from their ‘power house’ even for a moment for the fear of losing it.

Varun Binani, CRO, Tommy Hilfiger:
It is disappointing to find potholes obstructing vehicle movement on the main roads. Surprisingly, the interior roads are alright. The Koramangala road, which connects the area with the rest of the city, is in a very bad condition. Apart from obstructing smooth movement of traffic, potholes damage vehicles, flatten tyres and bend the wheel rims. Potholes turn vehicles into junk. The government collects a huge amount as tax from the vehicle owners, but doesn’t care for the precious lives of commuters.

Manoj R, software professional, Accenture:
Due to potholes and bad condition of roads, I met with an accident and had to undergo an operation for a knee injury and fracture at Hosmat. My vehicle is in a poor condition. I have spent Rs 30,000 for repairs. Riding my bike on CMH Road, which is riddled with numerous potholes, is back-breaking. Even the Metro Rail project has ruined the roads in the city, making commuters use narrow roads.

Sivkumar R, designer, Broadcom:
Bike riders are the worst hit, especially during rains, since it is difficult to spot the potholes. Water-logging on the road makes it even worse for riders when there’s a downpour. The Outer Ring Road and service roads pose threat to commuters as they are too narrow and can’t accommodate many vehicles at times.

Bharat Kumar, engineer:
It is the duty of the government departments to safeguard the general public. Many MNCs and other companies want to set up their offices in Bangalore. It might send wrong signals if the bad roads in the city are not attended to. The public too should launch an initiative to pressurising the authorities concerned to get ‘proactive’ in implementing road safety projects.