Hennur Main Road
I have chosen Hennur main road as I live close to it, but this is a vision for Bangalore as a whole. This road should have good, wide (a minimum of 1.5 mts ) side walks on both sides . This width should be the right of way free of electric posts, pressure pillars, transformers etc. All the drains should be properly and safely covered. This right of way should be paved with grass pavers (jali like concrete pavers which will allow grass growth). Pedestrian crossings, 1.5 mts wide, at regular intrevals – one in every 750 mts or so should be provided in busy areas, connecting the sidewalks at the same level, which will slope gently towards the sides, making it a gentle hump for the traffic. These crossings should be provided with traffic stop demand switches which will give a red light for the traffic and green light for the pedestrians. This arrangement should be fitted with cameras and sensors to ensure that the pedestrian is not made to wait more than 3 minutes to get a green signal. Also the present 2′ high dividers which make crossing such an adventure should be taken away and substituted with more aesthetically pleasing ones.
Hennur road also faces a chronic dust pollution problem. This mainly due to open construction trucks which emit a lot of dust and also due to the improper road slopes and clogged storm water drains which leads to dust accumulation on the sides and near to the dividers. Strict controls should be made on the construction trucks to be covered and the roads should be made properly according to standards which will lead to proper drainage of rainwater and the drains also should be cleaned periodically to ensure proper flow, especially before the onset of monsoon. It is a constant scene in this road to have instant floods if it rains continuously for half an hour or so. Good tree cover on either side can also mitigate the dust problem.
Bangalore in general suffers from a lack of proper signage system. It is very difficult for people of one region – say south Bangalore – to come to north Bangalore and find out a place or locate an address. The traffic police imposes instant (and often idiotic) traffic diversions and one ways which are not reflected in Google maps etc. So it’s very likely for newcomers or outsiders to get lost. First of all the cops should get out of the traffic planning business. Also, we should follow international standards for road signage. I would recommend Dubai as a model. There the green boards will indicate the main destinations – like major junctions, M.G Road, Majestic, Commercial Street etc; the blue boards will indicate secondary destinations like Geddalahalli, Babusapalya etc and brown boards will indicate landmarks like major malls, hospitals, schools etc. Also the signage system will be continuous – ie; it will be there at every turn and will literally take you to the destination.
Bangalore’s public transportation system should be improved a lot. Only that can mitigate the chronic traffic problems faced by the city. The proposed metro alone cannot solve all traffic problems. We need systems to integrate different modes of public transit – metro, buses, taxis and autos. I would like to propose a unique address code & muti – modal ticket system as a futuristic integrated public system. Each house & registered business establishment should have a unique address number under the postal pin code of the area.These address codes should be linked to a Google map of Bangalore, maintained by BBMP. A commuter who knows the address code as well as pin code of the origin and destination of his journey (it should be mandatory for all shops & offices to publish the pin code & address code in websites & ads) can log into the webpage of the transport authority and give the journey request. He will be shown the different modes available starting from the auto / cab for pick up and drop to the nearest bus stop / metro station ; pick up again at the destination stop and drop off at the destination point. He can make his choice, plan the journey, make the payment online and proceed with an sms ticket. This is possible if all these transport modes are integrated and the taxis / autos are all GPS connected. This will provide a door to door multi – mode public transit with a single ticket ; zero harassment by auto drivers; safety for odd time travel; efficient usage of public transit and finally lesser traffic and lesser emissions. This will surely encourage many people to leave their cars at home and switch over to public transit, given the ever increasing fuel prices. We also need to provide muti floor paid parking towers at all major bus terminals and near to metro stations.