The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Free flow of traffic to airport? Not yet

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Saturday, Mar 08, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Free flow of traffic to airport? Not yet

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: There would be no unhindered traffic to the Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli, at least for some time, as was promised by the authorities earlier.

The authorities had announced there would free flow of traffic from the High Grounds junction in the city to the airport.

However, Commissioner of Police Neelam Achutha Rao on Friday said traffic signals would be installed at some places, mainly at T-junctions, on the road connecting the city and the airport. Such traffic signals would function until the infrastructure projects were completed, he said.

After inaugurating a workshop on “Traffic Management and Road Safety,” which was jointly organised by the Bangalore Traffic Police and the New Delhi-headquartered Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), Mr. Rao said that they were trying their best to ensure good traffic facilities to the airport. The Government was yet to sanction the proposed traffic police station at the Devanahalli airport. Even if the Government sanctioned it immediately, it would take two years to get the required staff. “Though we are overstretched, we will ensure better traffic facilities using the available resources,” he remarked.

The police had already started conducting traffic awareness programmes for the people in the villages dotting the road connecting the airport. Once, the airport and its surrounding areas were brought under the jurisdiction of the city police “we will hasten the work,” the commissioner said.

Mr. Rao said educating road-users was important to solve the traffic problems of Bangalore. Unlike in Mumbai, there was no orderly road behaviour in Bangalore. The commissioner advised his officers to focus on traffic regulation and not limit themselves to enforcing rules and collecting fines.

In his introductory address, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Praveen Sood emphasised the need for changing the road-user behaviour and said the police should act as an agent of change.

Social cost

President of IRTE Rohit Baluja said the fatal road accidents in Karnataka alone accounted for Rs. 5,160 crore annual social cost. The estimate was made by a committee constituted by the Union Government.

Mr. Baluja said traffic signals and signage in Bangalore were not in accordance with the prescribed standards and made out a case for having signals of international standards. Additional Commissioners of Police B.G. Jyothiprakash Mirji and N.S. Megharik and Deputy Commissioners of Police (Traffic) Seemanth Kumar Singh and Panduranga H. Rane were present.

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