Many Letters : Bangalore Traffic
woes
1/12/05

Sir/Madam
The recent reports about the so called improvements in trafffic in Basavangudi clearly show the callousness of the planners.As a recent editorial in the Indian express put it, Indians are an impatient lot. Prime examples are the vehicle owners in this city who consider zebra crossings and even occasional signals as nuisance ! By concentrating on making the traffic smooth for the vehicles, numerous pedestrians in this essentially residential area are put to further hardship.Crossing roads in this area (for eg, Gandhi Bazar main road, B.P.Wadia Road, Netakalappa circle road etc ) is a nightmare for young and old alike.Gandhi Bazar traffic management is a shame for this supposedly enlightened consitituency which ironically spends so much for various festivals(Basavangudi habba, ganesh habba, deepavali etc) but cannot get a simple traffic light installed in the circle! The planned flyover in Tagore Circle will make the situation worse for pedestrians crossing Bugel Rock road. The need of the hour is not fly overs but automatic signal lights which cost comparatively very less. Such lights installed in the last one year on busier roads of Koramangala and Madivala have reduced the problems for pedestrians. Bangalore is known as the most unfriendly city in the country for pedestrians. Let us not make it worse.

19-8-2004
Appeared in TIME

Sir/Madam
Re: Traffic in Bangalore

Having relocated from the relatively orderly city of Mumbai to the chaotic city of Bangalore, I feel that that one of the main reasons for traffic disorders is the lack of proper public transport in Bangalore. It is something like the difference between NewYork and Los Angeles area. I remember waiting for a long time for buses in Irvine in Orange county ! Lack of public transport increases the number of vehicles which in turn reduces the amount of public transport! . It is indeed a viscious circle ! Bangalore traffic is so bad that , well, a chicken dare not cross the road here !

Dear Sir/madam

Killer spots (3/8/04)

Let me first thank you for doing a wonderful job identifying the bad spots in our city. In my daily sojourn from Gandhi Bazaar to Madivala/Koramangala(partially by walk thro Lalbag and partially by bus), I face several problems. Before I go into it, I want you to give a do and dont to your readers for zebra Crossings. The public has to be educated about these Crossings. Most motorists and two wheelers have absolutely no regard for these lines which are meant for pedestrians to safely cross the road. The sanctity of the zebra lines completely vanish when there is no policeman or traffic light in sight. The biggest problem of this city is that 2 wheelers are a law unto themselves! Having come recently from Bombay I cannot help reiterating what many out of towners feel about Bangalore:The most unfriendly city for pedestrians.

Difficult places for pedestrians to cross:

In Gandhi Baaar area

(1) The intersection of K.R.Road and B.P.Wadia Road is very difficult

(2) The Gandhi Bazaar circle is totally chaotic.

Both these places very badly need traffic lights. Policemen , even when they are there, are just not enough

Lal Bag Main gate:

In your first article you rightly mentioned this problematic place. It is very difficult to cross in front of the Lal Bag Main gate. There are no traffic lights. The situation is made worse because of many private buses stopping there for few minutes to canvass for passengers. The result is that City Bus drivers stop wherever they want resulting in chaos

It is the same story in front of the Wilson garden Crematorium

Near St Johns

There used to be a service road (parallel to Sarjapur road) in front of St Johns hospital. It is now tarred. The result is this narrow stretch of road is used by fast two wheelers giving no room for pedestrians to walk. The 2 wheelers enter this ex-service road from Sarjapur Road in front of St Johns and get back to Sarjapur Road near the Water tank intersection. It is really scary to walk this stretch.

The Hosur Road crossing near Madivala Bus stop has a zebra crossing but no policeman.

Thank you for your efforts

25/11/03
Sir/Madam :Zebra crossings

Most of the Bangaloreans seem to have no idea of the purpose of zebra crossings. The vehicles totally ignore these crossings and some of them even accelerate when they see the crossing! The intersections near the Madivala Masjid and the Koramangala water tank are manned only in the peak hours. After the inaguration of the Hosur flyover, it has become very difficult to cross the road near the masjid. The civic administration has to realize that traffic lights are as (or more ) important as fly overs. Coming from Mumbai, I find that this hitech city treats pedestrians as second (third?)class citizens. And the two wheelers are the most promiscuous vehicles! I am not exaggerating when I say it is really scary to cross the streets in this city!!Please put some public service ads telling the use of zebra crossings! Thanks

P.R.Vishwanth
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