The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BBMP official shows the way to address traffic woes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 25, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BBMP official shows the way to address traffic woes

Ranganna T.S.

Encroachments cleared on H. Siddaiah Road

MUCH-NEEDED RELIEF: A view of the H. Siddaiah Road between Lalbagh Road and Kengal Hanumanthayya Road in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: Movement of vehicles in Bangalore city continues to be chaotic. It moves at a snail’s pace on many busy roads. During peak hours, traffic jams create a situation in which the patience of road users is severely tested as they are forced to inch along. In summer, they also have to endure the scorching sun.

The situation is especially bad in the old Bangalore areas. While the roads in these places are narrow, the encroachment of footpaths by shops and establishments adds to the congestion.

On roads such as New BEL Road and Sanjay Nagar main road, and areas such as Kalasi Palyam, Broadway, Chamarajapet near the Mysore Road flyover and around Russel Market in the civil area, traders can be seen selling their wares almost in the middle of the road and at crossroads. A senior official in the Bangalore Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has showed the way to solve the problem. His scheme was successfully experimented on a busy stretch of H. Siddaiah Road between Lalbagh Road and Kengal Hanumanthayya Road, where encroachments have been cleared. The road, which starts from J.C. Road, stretches beyond Wilson Garden. Even the footpaths have been cleared to great extent, to the relief of pedestrians.

The official said that this stretch had been almost in disuse because most of it was occupied by several shops engaged in the sale of old automobile spare parts. Any attempt at clearing the road by either the Bangalore Bruhat Mahanagara Palike or the traffic police used to be met with resistance.

The Karnataka High Court had been requesting the State Government to provide accommodation to start a Bangalore Mediation Centre for clearing pending cases.

The Public Words Department, therefore, bought a three-floor building on Siddaiah Road owned by the BBMP and handed it over to the High Court so it could launch the State’s first-ever mediation centre.

The traffic police convinced the traders to allow the clearing of the automobile spare parts shops.

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