The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Reporter's Diary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 27, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Reporter's Diary

Where are the lanes?

FORMER POLICE Commissioner and Bangalore North MP H.T. Sangliana had a special love for cyclists. Of course, most Bangaloreans look at a bicycle with nostalgia, even if they mostly ride their motorcycles or show off their latest cars. But Mr. Sangliana's love was more powerful and he knew to show it too.

He was the man behind the special lanes for cyclists. If you could still spot those yellow lines on the periphery of our overworked, over-exploited roads, you would know how much the old Commissioner loved bicycles. If the lane is not strictly followed by the road-users, it is not Mr. Sangliana's fault.

Today, our traffic brains are still fond of special lanes. But no more special lanes for bicycles, they have moved onto something much bigger called the BMTC buses. Currently, bus lanes have made their mark on many city roads. Now, trusting the Bangalore's road-user's traffic sense, let us not expect too much from the laning. It is something like making a two-lane track into a four lane wonder. Or something like making Bangalore into Singapore. If wishes were horses...

Dedicated channel

THOSE DRIVING back home in the evenings have an interesting option in Akashvani's (All Indian Radio's) Amritavarshini, a channel dedicated to Indian classical music, both Carnatic and Hindustani. If you have trained your ears to classical music, you can make that ride through the peak hour traffic jam a pleasure. Those who have an FM facility in their car, mobile handset or a tiny FM set, may tune in 100.1 for a soulful music between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Recorded music of both veteran and young musicians from both the genre of Indian classical music will be broadcast on this channel. The announcers also tell you a bit about the ragas being played by artistes.

Recently, you had a Hindustani mandolin player enthral your way home. One hardly knew that a Hindustani player too has mastered the instrument

Faster the longer way

IN THIS city of 22 lakh vehicles, some short cuts are actually longer routes. The idea is to take less crowded roads and reach your destination fast.

This can be seen at every major intersection where flyover construction is going on. Wise drivers for example, give the airport road junction a wide berth.

The one-way rules imposed, changed, altered and modified at this junction are not easily understood even by many traffic police personnel. Many drivers also make it a point to know the lanes and bylanes around roads where traffics snarls are frequent. To go from Richmond Road to Lalbagh they would rather take a wide detour through Wilson Garden and Shantinagar and reach fast. Does it mean you spent more fuel? Not really because you stop and change gears less often.

Rasheed Kappan,

Govind D. Belgaumkar,

K. Satyamurty

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