Meeting Mr. Dastagir Sharif - Chief Traffic Manager, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)

Notes on yesterday's meeting with Mr Dastagir Sharif:

1. The website is outdated. Can it be updated for good route lookup?
Ans: The previous guy working on the website was not good. They have engaged an "agency" and soon, the website will be live. He did not tell us when exactly it will become live (we asked him multiple times). He showed us a map of all the bus stops marked on a large-scale map of Bangalore. Apparently marking the bus stops was a non-trivial task.

2. Can we have a graphic map, overlaying all bus routes?
Ans: Maps were created, and lots of bus stops have such maps. But there is too much vandalism, and all these maps have been destroyed. Moreover, because Bangalore is not a well-planned city, we cannot create the kind of bus maps that London and NYC have (!!!).

3.Can you time buses so that you prevent bunching up of buses, and keep them flowing at regular intervals?
Ans: Given the current traffic situation this is very difficult. The policymakers do not have the will to keep buses and other traffic orderly and prevent roadblocks. Without orderly traffic, BMTC cannot do much about ensuring these "timely" buses.

4. Can English be added to the boards?
Ans: Just two days back, he had a meeting with some folks from the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike. The BMTC is sponsoring a trip for them to see other cities in India so that they see that English is used everywhere. Maybe after that, they can put English on the buses in Bangalore (!!!).

5. Is there a plan for BRT pilots?
Ans. Yes, especially on outer ring road (where the bus frequencey is every 2-3 minutes) and the road to the new airport. These two roads are being targetted because they are 6-lane roads. He is trying to push for them.

6. Are you planning new buses and routes?
Ans: There is a plan to increase fleet to 10,000 in the coming years, 800 this year alone. But it is difficult because they are not getting enough trained drivers. Recently, they've put out job availabilies for 3500 drivers, but they have received only 2300 applicants. He claims that a bus driver job is not as attractive today as it used to be given the other options people have. Another 6500 positions have been advertised.

7. Other gripes about increasing number of buses and constructing bus shelters:
Ans: He runs into problems with the deputy commisioner of police. Apparently, the police do not want to see more buses because they feel it will lead to more congestion. Moreover, BBMP does not give them permission to construct more bus shelters. They've tried to get permission but haven't been able to.

8. On buses converting to CNG:
Ans: They are ready to do this if the Govt. "agrees" to it. I think that means providing the money to convert the buses.

9. How about introducing more Volvo/high-end buses?
Ans: Volvo buses are loss making. They have already ordered more of these buses, but they seem not to be sustainable. Even the Suvarna buses, which are only marginally more expensive than regular buses, are making losses. So he does not have much of an intent to increase high-end buses. The reason, he says, is that people with enough money to travel in such buses consider it beneath themselves to ride in public transport.

10. Lots of bus stops are just before or after important traffic junctions. Can he remedy that?
Ans: A lot of this has already been done, and they are actively working on this problem.

11. How about introducing Point-to-point buses with few stops
Ans: He talked about the Suvarna buses, and how they are loss-making.

12. Why not have smaller buses shuttling within the same area?
Ans: There are already 16 such routes, and they plan to introduce 19 more by the end of the year. He gave us a list of the 16 routes: Here they are:

FDR-1 From Uttarahall to Uttarahalli
FDR-2 From Uttarahalli to Uttarahalli
FDR-3 From ISRO Layout to ISRO layout
SJP.FDR-2 From Jn. of Hosur Road to Sarjapura
HSR.FDR-1 From Madivala to Chandrapura
BGT.FDR-1 From Bangalore Dairy Circle to Bannerghatta
374-E from Chikkalasandra to Chikkalasandra
374-F from Chikkalasandra to Chikkalasandra
500-Q From Goraguntepalya
258-CB from Goverdhan to Hesaraghatta
NMG.FDR-1 From Peenya 2nd Stage to Chikkabanawara
NMG.FDR-2 from Goverdhan to Hesaraghatta
240-R from Magadi Road tollgate to Gollarahatti
501-F from Kottigepalya to Kottigepalya
501-D from Kottigepalya to Kottigepalya
HSK.FDR-1 from KR Puram to Hosakote

However, the one in Koramangala was a complete disaster ( to and from the Mall), so he has discontinued that one.

13. How can we help?
Ans. Work through the press to increase support for the two BRT pilots. Also increase awareness in middle-class people and encourage them to use the bus.


Participants : Deepa Mohan, Nithin Shenoy, Ranjita Bhagwan & Anush Shetty

Thanks to Ranjita for the notes

Car Free Day

Wider roads and fewer trees in Bangalore

Cross posted from HasiruUsiru egroup

What is the connection between road widening and the tree cover? An assessment of the Bangalore scene.

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Sad sight: Bangalore is paying a heavy price for development.
Too often the scene of full grown healthy trees being chopped to make way for wider roads has been greeting Bangaloreans over the last two years, ever since the proposal to widen arterial roads took shape. Though the widening process on some of the arterial roads is not questioned, given the traffic congestion, many are unable to digest this happening in too many places.

In the recently announced Bruhat Bengaluru Mahnagara Palike (BBMP) budget, about 90 roads over a stretch of 144 km are to be widened. The process has already been started on about 10 stretches including Bellary Road, Sankey Road, Nrupathunga Road, Palace Road, Jayamahal Road, Hosur Road, and Seshadri Road.

According to S. Shekhar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BBMP, about 1,000 trees were felled over the last one year out of which 80 were transplanted. "About 1.35 lakh saplings have been planted during this period with a survival rate of 80-85 per cent," he adds. He is, however, quick to add that these were not necessarily planted in the same place where the trees were felled but in various parts of the city.

As for the number of trees that will face the axe in the proposed road widening work, he says it is too early to make an estimation. However, he points to the two lakh saplings proposed to be planted in the coming year, and says the green cover in the city will be safeguarded. "Bellary Road alone will see about 800 saplings planted and similar tree cover will be seen in others like NH 7."
Planning is the key

While the last five years have seen the maximum increase in volume of traffic, does the current road widening process take into account such future exponential increases in traffic? Or is it a case of widening partly now without proper planning and traffic solutions, entailing similar widening in future.

Says K.S. Krishna Reddy, BBMP Chief Engineer (Roads), "The current roads that are to be widened are structured to take in increases in volume of traffic up to 2020. However, the success depends on how well the other interconnected activities are integrated."

Thus, a widened arterial road would be free of congestion only when it is connected successfully to feeder roads, he adds. The level of residential and commercial development in and around that area would have to be taken into consideration to estimate the future volume of traffic, he says.

Concurs Seemanth Kumar Singh, DCP Traffic (East), "Cutting trees and widening roads is not the answer to our traffic problems though in a few places it is inevitable. We need a more rounded approach where traffic is managed and congestion reduced."

Thus, he points to the soon-to-be-implemented proposals such as banning traffic on certain roads, staggering of office and school timings, encouraging car pooling and increasing volume and frequency of buses.
Traffic factor

"It is also vital to assess the increase in traffic volume before and after construction of commercial complexes before approving the same. Over the last six months, BBMP is working closely with us, seeking our approval for new complexes based on increase in traffic volume and the capacity of the road to handle it."

He contends that developing new townships around the city will decongest our roads though this calls for "a lot of planning and concerted action."

While the widening of roads is expected to provide some respite to the traffic congestion, there is a school of thought which views this as a fruitless exercise. Says Leo Saldanha of Environment Support Group, "Widening of roads will not solve our traffic problems. What we need is a holistic approach taking into consideration the traditional practices of the city combined with better traffic management."

Thus, according to him, certain roads such as Commercial Street and parts of City Market should be restricted to pedestrians, with vehicular traffic banned. Improving public transport and sensitising public to resort to car pooling and sharing autos would successfully bring down the volume of traffic. "Widening roads would only give temporary relief with the main casualty being the trees lining these roads."

While trees have been cut in the roads earmarked for widening, "these roads are yet to see the shifting of utilities as well as widening," Saldanha says. Even on those few roads that need widening, trees should be the last casualty, he insists. "Public participation is vital here so as to incorporate its collective opinion."

In the coming years, when traffic volume increases, would the freshly planted trees on the newly widened roads be axed again, he asks.

As to the systematic felling of trees after every heavy downpour, he attributes it to the wrong choice of species that are not strong and deep rooted and prone to diseases.

Concurs Negin Hann, former DCF, "In many places the trees can be retained as medians. As for infected trees, most can be treated and need not face the axe." The success rate for saplings planted is low because of lack of maintenance. He recommends transplanting even though the cost could be high and the success rate not too high. "Making transplanting of healthy trees mandatory could act as a deterrent in cutting them," he says.

Adds Saldanha, "The loss of green cover is not only because of the chopping of trees but the disappearance of old property, nurseries and orchards which housed plenty of old trees."
NANDHINI SUNDAR

The Namma Raste blogsite

Thanks to Anush Shetty for creating this blogsite; it's for those of us who are concerned about the way in which Bangalore is losing, at one go, its aesthetic beauty, its green cover, and its climactic advantage, and is becoming a city that favours only motorized transport, at a severe cost to cyclists and pedestrians.

We do want a vibrant Bangalore, but one that is user-friendly for all categories of road-users, too. That's why we have named this initiative Namma Raste.

Several of us at Hasiru Usiru are trying to see if we can make a change to this mindset, and we would welcome any suggestions and directions on this blogsite.