ORR kicks up a lot of dust

 Vehicles crawl along the Outer Ring Road because the dust raised by ongoing infrastructure projects blinds motorists

Traffic crawls on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) that connects the IT corridor.It is not because of crater-like potholes,slowpaced infrastructure projects or the sheer volume of vehicles that fight for space.It is because of the dust kicked up by projects on the stretch.
The real problem is the gravel and clay that is making the stretch dangerous because it affects visibility.If you cant see the road ahead,how will you drive safely, asks Anup Rai,a techie who works at Global Tech Park near Bellandur.
To get a first-hand experience of what motorists feel,we decided to conduct a test-drive on the 71-km stretch of the ORR.It took us almost 5.5 hours to accomplish the gruelling task.
Five major infrastructure projects are currently being completed by the BDA,the custodian of the ORR.Flyovers are coming up (still) at Agara junction,Bellandur,Intel junction and behind the HP office just before the KR Puram suspension bridge.
An underpass was recently completed at the Cisco junction,which has not been officially opened to the public.A lot of machinery moves in and out of here.The BWSSB has taken up two major projects - laying of underground pipelines near Intel campus and Iblur camp.
The problem is,most of these projects are crawling.The clay and gravel are scattered along the stretch.Whenever a Volvo or any large vehicle goes by,it kicks up dust that seriously compromises visibility.You go blind for a few minutes and those minutes can make all the difference between life and death, says Ramya Karthik,an employee at the Bagmane World Technology Centre,who travels from BTM Layout on her two-wheeler.
A similar problem is faced by motorists at the Bellandur junction,where the BDA is yet to complete two flyovers.The sheer volume of the traffic does not allow us to speed up.If you apply brakes to avoid slamming into the vehicle ahead of you,the sand makes your vehicle skid,causing minor accidents, says Vishnu Agarwal,who travels from Koramangala to his Sarjapura office.
Even the traffic cops who man the junction say motorists skidding off their motorbikes is a common occurrence.We cant be filing cases every time such minor accidents occur, said a constable trying to control chaos near the Marathalli flyover.
The problems arent just confined to motorists.The plight of pedestrians too is quite pathetic.I prefer to use public transport because I cant drive through the madness.Yet,even crossing the road can be stressful, says Vandana Patnaik,a mother of two who works in a firm on the stretch.
She has a point since there are no skywalks and none are being planned either on the entire stretch.Crossing the road can be risky.
We found a number of pedestrians risking life and limb to get to work as motorists refused to give way.But it cant be helped because there is nobody to help, says Vishal Mehta,another techie.
Sames the case at Marathahalli and KR Puram as well.
At the KR Puram suspension bridge,a huge crater of a pothole slows down even Volvo buses.A couple of months ago,they patched up the other potholes,but that has made life even more miserable because it has made the stretch uneven, says Aneesh Kamath,who drives his Scorpio to work.
Cross the IT corridor towards BEL factory,and the sand-laden trucks make life miserable.The situation gets a little better as we hit Laggere and Nayandahalli and cross the final resting place of cine star Dr Rajkumar at the Kanteerava Studios.
But when you approach Mysore Road,your stress levels go through the roof as you try and cross the stretch.
After an exhausting drive,we can safely conclude the administration has a lot of catching up to do.

87 ACCIDENTS IN A YEAR

The estimated passenger car units (PCU) on the Outer Ring Road are 20,000.Of these,35% are estimated to be two-wheelers.The major police stations on the stretch are KR Puram,HSR Layout,Mahadepura,Hulimavu,Parappana Agrahara and Hennur.In the last one year,the total number of accidents put together from all these police stations is 87.

Metro may charge more in peak hours

Namma Metro Phase II being approved in principle by the State Government, the Bangalore Meto Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and other agencies involved in the implementation work will have two key challenges.

 

 

The Government of Karnataka has, through a government order (GO) dated February 21, 2012, among other things, asked the Corporation to explore ways of evolving a policy of differential pricing of fare and ways of earning carbon credits for the project.

Unilke the operational portion of reach-I of phase-I of the project, the GO says: “Necessary action shall be taken by the BMRCL to adopt a policy of differential pricing of fare.”

The orders states that the policy should, wherever feasible, charge higher fare in respect to the trips originating and ending in crertain specified stations and charging higher fare in peak hours. BMRCL officials were not reachable for comments and attempts to obtain the logic behind this move from the department of urban development went futile.

Sources said that being a capital intensive project, this move would help rake in some extra money in the initial phases of operations as also provide for more efficient services.

They said that given that the project connects places home to the IT companies and there is an anticipations of a lot of people using the service, stations along these stretches may be considered for higher fares.

The two new lines Gottigere to Nagawara covering 21.25km with 13,79 km going underground and RV Road to Bommasandra covering 18.82-km, the order said, traverse through some of the densest and traffic congested areas and are expected to bring connectivity to the IT industry.

Metro Phase -2 gets nod

It is official now. The central government today approved Phase II of the Bangalore Metro Rail, giving the green signal for massive expansion of the network. The Phase I with 42.3 km and Phase II with 72.09 km will create a Metro Network of 114.39 km, with 101 Stations (80 elevated, 19 underground and 2 AT-Grade). “This will totally transform the city’s urban transportation scenario. The Metro Rail network will be able to carry 14.80 lakh passengers per day by 2017-18. It will considerably reduce traffic congestion on the City’s roads and will provide a fast, comfortable, safe and affordable mode of transport for Bengalureans,” a BMRCL official said.

The proposed four extension lines under Phase II are expected to provide the much-needed last-mile connectivity to commuters and also optimise utilisation of Phase­ I. The two new lines traverse through some of the most densely crowded areas of the City and will also provide connectivity to the IT industry. From Monday, when the project was approved, Phase II will take five years for completion.

Kengeri Flyover

BMTC buses may get own lanes

The public transport seeks to set up the first of the four proposed lanes from Vittal Mallya Road to ASC Junction

If Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has its way,there is a solution in sight for commuters tired of BMTCs unreliable services.The public transport agency is planning to introduce priority lanes to ensure its buses reach destinations faster.It has prepared a blueprint to set up the lanes on four road stretches in a phased manner.The lanes will come up on the extreme left of a road.
BMTC officials feel that priority lanes will also ensure buses stop at bus stops and increase fuel efficiency.
BMTC chief traffic manager (operations) M P Prabhudas told Bangalore Mirror,We feel there is a need to prioritise public transport.In Bangalore,where more than 43 lakh people rely on BMTC services,priority lanes will make our buses more reliable.In the beginning,other drivers may find it difficult but gradually they will get accustomed to it.
To start with,BMTC wants to establish a priority lane from Vittal Mallya Road to ASC Junction on Old Airport Road.The route of the 3.5km lane is Vittal Mallya RoadRichmond Circle-Cash Pharmacy-Ashirwadam-Brigade Junction-Mayo Hall-Garuda Mall-Hosmat Hospital-ASC Junction.
It is estimated that more than 150 BMTC buses will move on this stretch per hour.Prabhudas pointed out that ambulances can also use the priority lane to reach the four hospitals on this route.
Depending on the response received on this stretch,priority lanes will be put in place in other parts of the city.
The second priority lane has been proposed from ASC Junction to Hudson Circle.The route of the 5 km lane is ASC Junction-Lifestyle Junction-Mother Theresa Junction-Richmond Circle-Hudson Circle.
The third priority lane will be extended from ASC Junction to Marathalli.The fourth priority lane will come up from Marathalli to ITPB.
Theres quite a bit of groundwork required if priority lanes have to become a reality.Separate signals must be set up at some points and temporary structures must be installed to separate mixed traffic.
BMTC must also get on board the city traffic police,department of urban land transport and the BBMP to get the priority lanes going.
This is not the first time Bangalore will have priority lanes.Some years ago,BMTC had tried out separate bus lanes on the Majestic-Hebbal stretch and the traffic police also came up with exclusive autorickshaw lanes.Both these experiments failed for want of space and the impatience of motorists.This apart,bus lanes on the Outer Ring Road also remained non-starters.Public money used for earmarking lanes went down the drain as the lanes slowly disappeared.

The BMTC wants priority lanes to ensure its buses reach destinations faster

Road Widening in Front of Nagwara Lake

Kadubeesanahalli underpass now Operational

Work has begun on other side of Road

Construction of underpass at kadubeesanahalli.

Metro Reach 3 Near Swastik Station

Hebbal - Yelahanka Elevated Road

BMTC To Develop Malls At Its Upcoming TTMCs

You can shop while waiting for your bus

That endless wait for public transport is likely to be livened up soon with movie viewing and shopping binges.Thanks to a BMTC endeavour,bus depots at Hebbal,Jayanagar 9th Block and Kathriguppe will get a makeover with traffic and transit management centres (TTMCs) housing swanky malls and commercial establishments.BMTC will call for bids to develop the three depots into transportation hubs as a PPP endeavour and design,build,finance,operate and transfer (DBFOT ) basis.

COMPLETE MAKEOVER

We are unlocking the land value of BMTC assets.These TTMCs will be equipped with adequate bus bays and parking facilities,besides exploring commercial opportunities, said KR Sreenivasa,MD,BMTC.
The proposal has attracted the attention of infrastructure companies and developers.Ramky Infrastructure,for instance,has won the bid to build and manage Hebbal depot through a competitive bidding process, a company official said.
Concession period for the project is 30 years,which can be extended by another 30.The 7.95-acre Hebbal depot is located at the intersection of NH7 and Outer Ring Road.Hebbal TTMC is estimated to cost a whopping Rs 300 crore with provision of 9 lakh sqft area earmarked for commercial and retail operations.
 

BMTC has already developed 10 TTMCs at Yeshwantpur,Jayanagar,Shantinagar,Koramangala,Domlur,Whitefield,Vijayanagar,Bannerghatta and Kengeri at a whopping cost of Rs 482 crore from JNNURM funds.

TO BOOST BMTC COFFERS

Annually we earn Rs 35 crore from the 10 TTMCs and expect to clear JNNURM debt.Now,we are planning to build 35 more TTMCs across the city on a PPP model, said Sreenivasa.
The royalty-based dry rental model in older TTMCs hasnt been successful in generating adequate revenue.The commercially more relevant terms being offered now to develop new terminals will boost BMTCs coffers, said Prashanth Sambargi,partner at Mars Realty.
The PPP model for the new TTMCs focuses on making barren land,where buses were parked and repaired,commercially more viable.The model is a win-win situation for both the developer and BMTC.We are exploring opportunities to develop retail spaces in some good locations.The corporation can exploit the floor space index to its potential to generate additional revenue said Raj Menda,MD of RMZ Corp.
Nitesh Shetty,CMD,Nitesh Estates,told TOI they are exploring one or two options proposed under the PPP route.
BMTC is also conducting a feasibility study to examine if Electronics City and Yelahanka depots,too,can be converted into TTMCs under the PPP model.

Whats the project about

TTMCs are a vital cog in any city's urban infrastructure.Parking and other facilities will help commuters interchange between different modes of transportation.The proposed TTMCs will house a fuelling station,administration building,washing area and maintenance workshop.These facilities should be created within two years of signing the contract.
The commercial space should be developed within five years of commencement of the contract.The concessionaire will have to pay BMTC an upfront fee of Rs 10 crore and fixed annuity of Rs 1 crore for the concession period.BMTC MD KR Sreenivasa said whoever pays a higher annuity will get the offer on approval from the government.

NEW LOOK: Bus depots at Hebbal,Jayanagar 9th Block and Kathriguppe will get a makeover with TTMCs housing swanky malls and commercial establishments

Bangalore-Mysore rail link proposed

Bullet-speed ride

 

If the Government of Karnataka agrees to the proposal made by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRCL) and it turns out to be feasible, one will be able to reach Mysore in just 30 minutes.

E Sreedharan, Principal Adviser, DMRCL has, in a letter dated February 3 said: “...We feel a high speed rail line (HSRL) between Mysore and Bangalore is eminently justified.”

Such a corridor, he said, will have a total length of 110 km with a speed potential of 350 km and the whole distance can be covered in less than 30 minutes.

Sreedharan, stressing on the fact that the DMRC has experience in preparing feasibility reports for such projects said: “...It would take us about four months and cost about Rs 50 lakh (for feasibility study). It will bring out the technical standards to be adopted, the route to be followed, expected cost of line, ridership forecast, funding options, financial viability, project completion period, institutional arrangements for the implementation and legal cover necessary.”

He said that the Kerala Government has already accepted the feasibility report submitted by the DMRC for a HSRL between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, covering 560 km, to be covered in less than three hours.

“Kerala has accepted the report, based on which it has asked DMRC to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for this project and the work on it is going on,” Sreedharan said, adding that logically, such a line should be extended from Kasaragod to Mangalore/Udupi in Karnataka, which is being taken up separately.

If the Government of Karnataka is interested in the Bangalore-Mysore proposal, Sreedharan said, DMRCL will be happy to offer the terms and conditions for taking up such a project.

Nayandahalli Two Level Flyover

Nagawara Signal Free Corridor

Taking toll: 12 minutes per car!

It is a real nightmare heading back to the City from the Bengaluru International Airport now, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) introducing toll collection at Sadarahalli Gate. From the time a car gets into the queue of vehicles at the eight toll booths, till the time it gets out, it takes all of 12 minutes.

The NHAI officials had announced that toll collection would not affect the flow of traffic and that they had installed enough booths to avoid traffic pile-ups at this point. But passengers had a different story to narrate. If 12 minutes was the time taken for a car during off-peak hours, one can only imagine the delays the toll booths would cause when the traffic coming out of the airport is high.

Taxis to go off road from today
Air passengers flying out of Bengaluru will have a tough time as taxi drivers are beginning their strike from Monday, protesting against toll collection at Sadarahalli Gate. At the stroke of 9 am the taxi drivers will stop ferrying passengers to the Bengaluru International Airport, putting travelling plans of many in jeopardy. The plight of those flying into Bengaluru would be worse, as they would not find taxis to bring them to the City.

“Our key demand is the introduction of a monthly pass system for taxis at `600 per pass with multiple entry and exit option. We had a meeting with officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Friday and requested them to consider our request. We are starting the strike from 9 am on Monday and will withdraw it only after NHAI officials give a written assurance on the passes,” said All-India Motor Transport Congress Managing Committee Member K.G. Ravindra.

But NHAI officials said the decision on issuing passes could be taken only by the central government. “Introducing monthly passes for airport taxis or providing concessions is not in our hands. Toll collection has been decided by the Union government and they are the right authority for any further orders too. I don’t think we can offer any further concession on toll collection at Sadarhalli Gate on NH-7,” said NHAI Chief General Manager (Technical) A.K. Mathur. The Karnataka Maxi-cab Owners’ Association, Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association, KSTDC and majority of taxi operators are taking part in the strike. It is estimated that around 15,000 taxis that provide pick-up and drop facility to airport passengers will remain off the road.

Legal hurdles delay Metro work at Peenya

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has admitted that not everything is hunky dory on the opening of the Peenya Northern line scheduled for December this year.

 

 

BMRCL, in its latest newsletter, said: “We are focussed on the opening of the Northern line up to Peenya scheduled for December 2012. However, there are some issues of concern.”

The letter said that one of the news was the litigation concerning the acquisition of land for construction of the Sandal Soap Factory Station which has been going on for over three years and substantial construction work at the station is held up for want of the said land.

“This has also affected the schedule of systems work like track, traction, signal and telecom in the reach,” BMRCL said.

Waiting for approval

Further, stating it is also awaiting the approval of Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety, Bangalore, for the construction of 66m-span cast-in-situ viaduct over the Railway line at Malleswaram, it said: “This is pending for want of formal clearance of Design Basis Report of Metro civil infrastructure construction by RDSO and Ministry of Railways since April, 2011.”

However, the Corporation expressed satisfaction over the construction work of the Kempegowda (Majestic) Station, which is expected to scale up to its peak activity in about two-three months.

Tunnelling work

“Tunnelling work in the East-West Corridor is going on at all locations barring on the Railway land at the Supervisor’s Training Centre (STC) area,” the Corporation said, adding that communications have been addressed to Ministry of Railways and the Centre to work on railway lands at the Supervisor’s Training Centre (STC) area.

Approval for the same is awaited but the work in this location is about eight months behind schedule for want of access.

A view of Namma Metro work on Tumkur road

‘Collect toll or lose PPP project’

The central government has warned the Karnataka government that if it does not go ahead with collection of toll on the Bellary Road (NH 7), it will lose national highway development projects under the public private partnership (PPP) across the State.

The State government, which is facing a revolt by various transport organisations who object to paying the toll on this road until the entire project is completed, will have to abide by the Union government’s directive, said a minister on condition of anonymity.

Under the tripartite support agreement between the State and Union governments and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), there is a clause empowering the concessionaire or the contractor to collect the toll fee even before the proposed project is completed, said highly placed sources in the PWD department.

The State government had earlier realised that agreeing to this clause was a mistake and had made several attempts to get out of it.

The present and former chief ministers had written to the Union government to amend the clause.
To prevent the embarrassment of the concessionaire being taken to court, the Union government has directed the State government to abide by the tripartite support agreement and allow the contractor to collect the toll fee.

Though the State government has failed to persuade the contractor to accept alternatives, it did manage to get the contractor to agree to collect the toll on the return trip, thus avoiding delays to passengers bound for the international airport.

As an alternative measure, the government suggested that the contractor defer the date of starting toll collection, but the contractor did not agree.

“In a bid to attract contractors, to reduce the duration of maintenance to the contractor and to have a competitive spirit, the Union surface transport ministry authorised the contractors to collect toll fee even before the completion of the project,” added sources.

Nightmare on airport street

 

Starting tomorrow, the new toll plazas on the Sadarahalli Gate near Bengaluru International Airport highway is set to create a tailback of cars and vehicles that will cause even more delays than before.

Eight toll booths have been built on the exit route from the international airport and another four have been built ahead of the trumpet flyover to collect toll from Andhra Pradesh-bound vehicles.

But of these, only eight are operational. Similarly, a single toll booth has been erected at the entrance of BIA from the Hyderabad highway.

Traffic experts say that the first few days are going to be tough for passengers leaving the airport. As it is, there are at least 10 bottlenecks between Vidhan Saudha and the airport due to ongoing construction work. The toll collection will start on Friday midnight and Bengaloreans will have to pay for and travel on congested roads for the next one year.

Traffic congestion is common at Palace Grounds, Hebbal flyover, Amruthhalli, Yelahanka, Hosahalli Cross, Vidhya Nagar Cross and Kogilu junction.

The government and BIA have not taken any steps to open the second alternative road to BIA, through Hennur and Baglur, and taxi owners are fuming at the toll which will entail further delays.

Though the NHAI has announced that airport-going vehicles will not be stopped or made to pass through toll booths, during peak hours the journey in the opposite direction could be chaotic.

Out of eight gates that have been installed to collect toll, two are used for exempted vehicles and heavy construction vehicles. So, all cars and other vehicles must pass through just six gates.

Vehicles going to Andhra Pradesh too will face traffic jams as there are only two booths operating after the airport flyover. The congestion was visible on Thursday evening when vehicles moving in four lanes were restricted to two lanes since the other two booths were not ready.

The developers and NHAI officials claim that the work on the 3.9 km-long elevated highway (between Amruth Halli and Yelahanka), two flyovers, and widening of the stretch between Hebbal and Bengaluru airport trumpet point, will be completed in the next six to eight months, but traffic experts have their doubts.

“The NH-7 is a busy road and is already suffering from several bottlenecks. The ongoing construction work has created congestion points and it takes more than 90 minutes to reach the city centre from the airport during peak hours. We are not against the toll, but why should one pay to travel through congested roads?” asks Radhakrishna Holla, general secretary of the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners Association.