Saturday, September 22, 2012

Mysore Road Flyover


Eight-lane corridor to ease traffic woes at Okalipuram

To provide relief to the commuters travelling towards Rajajinagar and Malleswaram from the busy Majestic area, the state government has approved the eight-lane signal free corridor between Okalipuram and Khoday's Circle.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister S Suresh Kumar on Friday declared that his long cherished dream  had come true with the state cabinet's approval. Describing the project as the most complicated of all civic works in the city, he said that it is being implemented in coordination with railway department, BBMP and BESCOM.

The cost of the project is ‘115 crore, out of which ‘102 crore is for civic work, he maintained. The work will be completed in 24 months. It will include two underpasses and a loop from city railway station. "The corridor will be 700 to 800 metres long. It will be like Hebbal flyover,"Suresh Kumar explained.

He said though the project was conceived long ago, no company came forward to take the bid as the work was complex. This time, two companies have expressed interest and the lowest bidder was given the chance.

City to get waste disposal plant

State cabinet on Friday approved the setting up of a modern solid waste disposal plant on ‘design, build, operate and transfer’ basis at Subbarayanavala village near Tavarekere.


Minister for law and parliamentary affairs S Suresh Kumar briefing the reporters about cabinet decisions said that the government will provide 10 acre of land on a lease of 20 years for the project.“Everyday, the fully automated segregation plant will process 750 metric tonnes of solid waste.

BBMP will pay the company ‘70 per one tonne of solid waste disposal. The proposal has been approved by the cabinet,” he said.


Suresh Kumar further said that the plant would be set up by Gujarat-based company Hanjir Biotech Engineering Pvt Ltd, which has already set about 20 such plants across  the country.

“The amount of solid waste which goes to landfill is very less. After segregation, the plant will produce manure, fuel pellets (used in cement factories) and plastic ingots for plastic recycling. About 80% of the solid waste will be recycled and only 20% will go for landfilling. The company plans for reducing this also,” Suresh Kumar added. 
 
The government is planning to set up scientific solid waste management plants at four places in the city. “We will take a call within a month in this regard. The government has also decided to extend the lease period of Sumanahalli Leprosy Patients Rehabilitation Centre for the next 20 years. The centre is being run on 5.23 acres of land allotted by the government on Magadi Road.
 
It is also decided to build residential houses for group  B,C & D employees of the High Court near NGEF in Byappanahalli in available five acres,” the minister said.

Track Laying Along Reach-3 of Metro (@ Yeswanthpur)



Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Be smart, click a photo, fill a pothole

Fed up with pothole ridden roads? From November 1 onwards, you just have to click a photo from your mobile and upload it on the BBMP website and the civic body has committed to fixing it within a specific time frame. That, says the new and enthusiastic BBMP commissioner Rajneesh Goel, is a first of its kind initiative and a Rajyotsava gift to the pot-holed city. Last count, there were 30,000 potholes on city’s roads.
In an innovative move the BBMP in association with the KEONICS, is developing Android based mobile phone (with GPS) application for accepting complaints from the public and attending to it through Geographical Positioning System (GPS), said BBMP commissioner Rajneesh Goel. People can upload the photo of the pothole on to the BBMP server which will be automatically sent to the engineer concerned.

Malleswaram is set to become new Majestic

BMTC,KSRTC to shift operations because of ongoing Metro work

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are set to log out of the Kempe Gowda bus terminal,popularly known as Majestic,due to ongoing Metro work.The two transport corporations are set to shift operations to a new location in Malleswaram until work on the Namma Metro is completed.The managing directors of both BMTC and KSRTC have asked the BBMP commissioner to give the corporations four acres of land near Malleswaram so that they can relocate their arrival and departure bays there.In their letter,the MDs have said the land would be required for a period of four years.The letter was submitted four months ago,but they are still awaiting clearance from the civic agency.

On June 11,deputy chief minister and transport minister R Ashoka was told by KSRTC and BMTC officials that it was becoming increasingly difficult to continue operations from the main terminal.Ashoka had then asked the officials to demand land in Jakkarayanakere near Malleswaram and near Krishna Flour Mills from the BBMP on a temporary basis.A letter was sent by KSRTC MD ,Manjunath Prasad to BBMP commissioner seeking quick allotment of the land.The then commissioner forwarded the copy to the town planning standing committee.

Meanwhile,the joint commissioner,BBMP (West) is believed to have told the commissioner there is no problem handing over the land to BMTC,but before taking a final call on it,the local residents should be taken into confidence.

The matter had come up before the committee,but committee chairman Purushotham Ravi has put the matter on hold as the committee members are yet to inspect the land demanded by the KSRTC and BMTC.Ravi said,Because of the Metro work,BMTC and KSRTC have asked for alternate land near Malleswaram. 

BMTC chief traffic manager (Commercial),G N Veeregowda,said,We dont want to shift the KSRTC and BMTC bus stands immediately.The KSRTC has its ambitious plan for the countrys first inter-modal transport hub project which is yet to takeoff.Once the Rs 1,500 crore project is back on the ground,we may have to shift the bus terminals.We would require the land near Malleswaram at that time.

Metro work in progress at Majestic area

Partly finished Nayandahalli flyover to bring cheers for commuters

ALMOST READY: The flyover at the junction of Mysore Road and Outer Ring Road at Nayandahalli in Bangalore is being given the final touch by the contractor.

After missing several deadlines, the two-level flyover at Nayandahalli at the Junction of Mysore Road and Outer Ring Road (ORR) will partially be opened for traffic by this weekend. The stretch connecting the ORR from Tumkur Road towards Banashankari is almost ready and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) that is constructing the flyover has been allowing traffic on trial basis since Saturday.

A senior BDA official concerned told  that the contractor is giving the finishing touch on the stretch and work will be completed by this weekend.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M. Abdulla Saleem said that the partial opening of the flyover is bound to offer considerable relief for vehicles at the Nayandahalli Junction, particularly those moving on the outer ring road. The waiting period at the junction too will come down, he said. Vehicles, both using Mysore Road as well as the outer ring road, would take anything between 15 to 25 minutes depending upon the time of the day to pass the signal at this junction. The BDA had started work on the project in the first quarter of 2011 and had promised to complete it by December 2011. However, it was unable to complete even one stretch of the flyover after one-and-a-half years. The outer ring road stretch was earlier scheduled for completion in December and then May even as the whole project is scheduled for completion by December 2012.

The partial opening, however, may not bring complete relief for those using Mysore Road because of the pathetic road condition, Mr. Saleem said.

The condition of the road coupled with inordinate waiting time at the KIMCO (BHEL) Junction could ruin the happiness of commuters, he said. The bridge-over-drain connecting Chord Road and Mysore Road is in the final stages of completion and once it is open, KIMCO Junction could be made signal-free bringing in much relief.

CNR Rao Circle Underpass -Some elbow room at last

Vehicles pass through one side of the underpass at CNR Rao Circle near the Indian Institute of Science, connecting Mehkri Cirlce and Yeshwantpur, after the traffic police and the BBMP opened this stretch to ease traffic at the junction and start work on the other side, in Bangalore on Wednesday. However, the CNR Rao Circle underpass, connecting Malleswaram and Mehkri Cicle, is still incomplete.

Air India gift to Bangalore flyers for Ganesha fest :Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Air India (AI) will fly its brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft into Bangalore on September 19, the day when the city will be celebrating Ganesha Chaturthi. Air India will be the first airline to land and take-off the Dreamliner from Bangalore. Incidentally, the carrier was also the first airline to land and take-off from Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), when it opened in 2009.

AI's evening flight from Delhi AI 403 on September 19 will be operated by the 256-seater Dreamliner and will touch down at 7.10pm at BIA. The same aircraft will depart from Bangalore to Delhi as AI 404 at 8.10pm.

"The 787 will allow Air India to open new routes in a dynamic marketplace and provide the best in-flight experience for our passengers," said, Rohit Nandan, CMD, Air India, which is the fifth airline in the world to take delivery of a 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft has the range and capability to allow AI to deploy them on many routes, including to the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Air India has placed orders for 27 Dreamliners, which it will induct into its fleet over the next couple of years. By the end of this year, the airline will have five Dreamliners in its fleet.

"I am sure Air India and their customers will be thrilled to experience the revolutionary features on the 787, an airplane that will be the key focus of the airline's turnaround plan," said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice-president of Asia Pacific and India sales for Boeing commercial airplanes. Air India's first 787 Dreamliner was assembled in Everett, Wash, and delivered on September 6 from Boeing's South Carolina delivery centre. With this latest acquisition, the number of aircraft in Air India's fleet will go up to 122.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Lufthansas dream flight lands in BIAL

German airline introduces Bangaloreans to the pleasures of the world's longest and widest aircraft

In the chaos and confusion created by the bus strike,Bangaloreans missed watching the spectacle of the landing and taking off of the world's longest and widest aircraft a B747-8.Of the three Boeing Jumbo Jet B74708 aircraft handed over to Lufthansa airlines,while one touched base on Wednesday,another,which was christened by German chancellor Angela Merkel,landed in the city on Thursday.It was the first new aircraft to receive a water salute at the Bangalore International Airport (BIA).Dubbed as the 'Queen of the skies',the aircraft will connect Bangalore to Frankfurt.It is configured to accommodate eight passengers in the First Class,92 in Business Class and 262 in Economy.While pampering would have found a new meaning for First and Business Class passengers,those in the Economy Class can look forward to more legroom,head room and storage space.Economy Class passengers will be getting a fourth of a foot more space.All three classes have also been given an enhanced in-flight entertainment system.It promises 30 per cent lesser cabin noise,a sophisticated Business Class seat featuring a 6.5 feet long full-flat bed with vastly improved sleeping comfort and much greater privacy.Travellers on the main deck of the nose section will be treated to luxury at its peak in the quietest First Class cabin in the skies.

The B747-8 sets new standards in comfort and efficiency.It builds upon the Boeing 747 series.The significantly improved aerodynamics of the wings,newly developed wingtips and GEnx-2 Benginesachievea 15percent improvement in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions per passenger.

Introduction of the B747-8 is a major step in Lufthansas wider plan of overhauling its fleet to India.
The new aircraft replaces the B747-400 on the Bangalore-Frankfurt route (LH 754/55).

Bangalore is the third destination worldwide to be serviced by the B747-8 and the second Indian city after New Delhi.The B747-8 is serving the direct Delhi-Frankfurt route since August 7,2012.

FLIGHT DETAILS

LH 754 Frankfurt 1215 hrs Bangalore 0030 hrs (+1)
LH 755 Bangalore 0230 hrs Frankfurt 0825 hrs
Distance 7,746 km
Aircraft type Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental
Seating capacity 362 seats (8 First Class,92 Business Class,262 Economy Class)



Dubbed as the 'Queen of the skies',the aircraft will connect Bangalore to Frankfurt (Below) A seat in the Business Class

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Mysore Road flyover to open by Sept-end

The bad news is the ongoing road-widening work will take another year to complete

There's some good news and some bad news for commuters using the Mysore Road.The good news first: Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is opening for traffic one of the two levels of the flyover coming up at Nayandahalli junction by this month-end,which will ease traffic congestion on the stretch to some extent.Now for the bad news: The road-widening project,started two years ago and expected to be ready by November-end,will require another year to complete.The project,started with an estimated expenditure of Rs 5 crore,has already cost the exchequer Rs 9.5 crore.
 
 

Travelling on Mysore Road is a nightmare these days due to a number of potholes and lack of street lights,causing accidents almost every day.

Former mayor Sharadamma and her deputy S Harish had inspected the widening work many times.The current mayor,D Venkatesh Murthy,and Major Roads Infrastructure standing committee chairman Sridhar Reddy have also inspected the work a few times in the past five months,but there has hardly has been any progress.

The BBMP got a rude shock in June when it found that Cos Consultancy,which had been monitoring the work,didnt have a laboratory in Bangalore.Hence,the Rs 22 lakh paid to the company for road quality maintenance went down the drain.

Chief engineer of BBMPs major road infrastructure wing,Somashekhar,said,We have been reviewing the project on a regular basis.According to the agreement between the BBMP and the contractor,the project should be completed by this November,but the progress is very slow.Soon we will issue a notice to the contractor,terminating the contract.Then,we will either invite fresh tenders for the pending work or we will make use of 4G exemption for works which are urgent in nature.

MORE HURDLES

He added,There are more hurdles for execution of the project.The cable ducts of BSNL,Bescom and other utility services have to be removed.Bescom is yet to shift the electric poles for which payment has already been made.We have to acquire around 25 properties on the stretch towards Gali Anjaneya Temple and we have asked owners to make use of TDR (Transferable Development Rights).It is difficult for us to acquire properties as we cant forcibly evict them.Options are being considered for settlement.

On Friday,the mayor along with deputy mayor L Srinivas inspected the project site and was not satisfied with the progress of the works.He has asked officials to complete the work on war-footing.

The work is being executed at a snails pace.I have asked officials to cancel the deal with the current contractor and ask a new contractor to execute it.

Meanwhile,BDA's construction of level one of the two-level flyover at Nayandahalli junction is nearing completion though the work has dragged on for almost three years.The flyover was expected to be completed by March 2012.

SIGNAL-FREE JUNCTION

The two-level flyover will be the first of its kind in the city and will make the junction signal-free.BDA's engineering member T N Chikkarayappa said,The first level of the flyover will be completed by this month.It will considerably ease traffic congestion at the junction.Motorists from Banashankari direction can use this level to head towards Nagarbhavi.The other level of the flyover will be completed in the next six months.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Kingfisher downsizing has hit BIAL hard

The GVK-controlled Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) — is currently expanding its terminal building to accommodate 17-20 million passengers a year. It reached its original capacity of 11 million passengers in its third year of operations in 2010. But it has not been a good start for BIAL this fiscal. Hari Marar, president, airport operations at BIAL, tells Ajay Sukumaran that the double whammy of slowing business travel and reduction in capacity because of Kingfisher Airlines' downsizing will keep growth relatively flat this year

How badly has Kingfisher affected BIAL?

At this point of time last year, it was our largest carrier. Today, it is operating about 6-7 departures a day from Bangalore. Last year this time, they were operating 47 departures a day. So, obviously that’s a huge impact on the Bangalore airport.

BIAL saw good growth and profitability in FY12. How do you hope to close this year?

I think this year we will close at more or less the same levels as last year. While we see a slight slowdown, it’s about 3% below last year at this stage, we hope to catch up in the next 8 months this year. We feel that from the winter schedule, things will start looking up again. That's traditionally the peak season, so, with that, things will sort of pick-up and we should at least be able to remain at last year's levels.

So growth will be flat?

But that's a perfect stage because by then we will have the terminal expansion ready and that gives us the right platform to grow from there. The first phase should be roughly in the first quarter of next year. We want to open up portions as and when they are ready.

If Kingfisher's downsizing has hit you so badly, how do you expect to keep the same volumes as last year?

If you look at Kingfisher’s operations, that's roughly 40 departures a day taken out of the system. Last year ,we were operating about 175 departures a day. We have come down to 135-140 departures a day. That’s about 20-25% reduction in Bangalore airport's traffic movements but in terms of passengers we are only about 3% below. So you can see it has got absorbed by other carriers. Plus airlines like Indigo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, these are all expanding at this point of time, they will be inducting capacity.

We believe that they cannot afford a high potential market like Bangalore and they will put more planes here and that's what will ensure that we will remain at the same level as last year.

BIA aspires to be a hub for intl traffic

 Wants to consolidate passengers from all airports in south India and emulate Singapore in terms of world connectivity 



As its 1,400 crore expansion comes to a close,GVK- executed Bangalore International Airport (BIA) is morphing into the southern hub for international passengers flying out of India.The current expansion programme,which is expected to be completed by the end of next year,will see capacityshootupfrom12millionpassengersto 17million,and with certain a minor investment,can be further scaled up to 20 million users,depending on demand.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Confederation of Indian Industry's Innovation seminar in the city,BIA Limited's president of airport operations Hari Marar said that the time is opportune for Bangalore to give international airports in the region a serious run for their money.

Citing the example of traveller's from India flying to Japan,he said,"Every day,approximately 70-80 passengers fly to Japan from each of the three large airports in the south Hyderabad,Chennai and Bangalore every day.For this number,no Japanese airline is going to come to these cities.Currently,Singapore Airlines takes them to Singapore and onwards to Japan.Why should we lose the traffic to a foreign carrier" 

What makes the proposition even more tempting is the number of passengers from the city flying to Japan,Africa,Australia and South Korea about 1,500 a day."If you look at the entire south,the number goes up to 7,000.We are losing them to other international players (airports and carriers ).What we need is an Indian airline to set up a hub and offer international connections,"Marar said.

Recently,the Union government approved a proposal of Jet Airways in this connection.Jet can bring passenger from across south India to Bangalore and a foreign carrier can fly them out."The economic benefits of hosting such a hub is substantial.Aviation and the larger tourism industry are the largest employers in the world.For every dollar invested,a hub generates $6 for the overall economy,"he said.

WHY BANGALORE


Fundamentally,the biggest strength is the market size.Bangalore has more long-haul traffic (people flying long distances) as compared to Chennai or Hyderabad.

In terms of overall international market size,Chennai is bigger in terms of the sheer number of passengers,but they mostly comprise traders going to places like Malaysia,Singapore and Sri Lanka.Such short routes will not support the development of a hub.

"But Bangalore has the highest number of passengers going to Europe and the Americas,mainly due to theIT and ITeS sectors.The average revenue yield per passenger is higher in Bangalore than any other part of the country.In the last 10 years,Bangalore has grown faster than any other city as far as aviation is concerned,"he said.

Bangalore is the geographic centre of the southern peninsula,which is very important from the point of view of hub development."The average distance to Bangalore from other southern cities is 426 km,which is 100 km less as compared to Hyderabad or Chennai.This saves time and fuel,"Marar said.
When Bangalore airport was being developed between 2005 and 2008,traffic growth forecast was around 17 per cent.But the actual figure was 40 percent year-on-year for three consecutive years.Hence,when the new airport began operations,its capacity was almost fully utilised.

Marar said that completion of the first phase of construction will result in a dramatic fall in the waiting time for people using Bangalore airport.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Mysore Road ORR to soon be congestion free as first level of two level flyover all set for red tape cutting


IT companies offer to build skywalks with escalators :Plan to set up seven skywalks on Sarjapur Outer Ring Road

So what if the BBMP is broke and does not have the money to build skywalks or install escalators in them The citys IT companies are willing to do it.They plan to build not one,but seven skywalks with escalators to help pedestriansas well as facilitate a hassle-free drive on the roads.The BBMP has already built one with an elevator at Majestic.

Most IT companies,irrespective of the associations they belong to,are coming together in the initiative.These companies have in place a traffic and transport system on Sarjapur Outer Ring Road (ORR) for decongesting traffic.

With the way traffic is growing in the city,we thought of a collective effort to bring all the stakeholders together, N S Rama,CEO,ELCIA(Electronics City Companies Association),told That's when we came up with the idea.The BBMP had similar plans,which have since gone into cold storage.

For the IT companies embarkingontheplan,theground work has already been done.We have the Silk Board traffic management study conducted earlier.Well take a relook at the study,incorporate necessary changes and then implement our plan, said Rama.

Sarjapur ORR,a part of the IT corridor,sees huge traffic,with most commuters heading towards Whitefield,ITPL,Marathahalli and Doddanekundi.IT firms have been launching several initiatives to decongest the corridor,including a common bus system,training and posting of traffic wardens and inculcating road and traffic discipline.The skywalk plan is theirlateststepinthatdirection.

According to Seetharam Vishwanath,the founder of Wheels,an association of IT firms and employees,more than 1,500 vehicles move every ten minutes on the stretch.Its difficult to hold up the traffic even for a few minutes.In order to improve traffic movement,we (IT firms) discussed several ideas.The skywalkplanwasoneoftheprominent solutions deliberated upon, he said.

The companies plan to build seven skywalks with escalators at seven vital points on Sarjapur ORR.Two of them would come up at BTM Junction.Each such skywalk would cost around Rs 2 crore.

A final decision will be taken in consultation with the city traffic police,BBMP and BDA.Our goal is to ease traffic congestion and help pedestrians as well as motorists, said Vishwanath.

Each skywalk will cost Rs 2 crore

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Traffic to ease at Nayandahalli Jn

Commuters passing through Nayandahalli Junction on Mysore Road can now heave a sigh of relief. The traffic barricades at the jammed junction will be removed as the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is going to complete the work soon.

The assurance came from N Sivasailam, managing director, BMRCL, at the India Innovation Summit, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Friday.

“I’m assuring them [motorists and commuters] that the work would be completed and all barricades put up at the junction removed. We will be off from Nayandahalli junction within two weeks,’’ Sivasailam said.

For more than a year, Nayandahalli Junction was a pain for motorists as it took them more than 20 minutes to cross the junction due to the ongoing Metro work. Serpentine queues of vehicles was a common feature there.

Sivasailam rejected the charge that BMRCL had take up more road space for metro works. “Namma Metro has occupied only nine metres of space on the road while it was 13.5 metres in New Delhi and 12 metres in Chennai,’’ he said.

Namma Metro would bring down noise level by 30% and also reduce traffic congestion.

“We’ve been in talks with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation for introducing a combo card that can be used to travel on Namma Metro as well as by BMTC buses. I expect the BMTC to complete the process within two months,’’ he said.

HC vacates stay on toll collection

ROAD TO BIA
HC vacates stay on toll collection

Get set to pay toll if you are heading to Bengaluru International Airport (BIA).The high court on Thursday vacated the stay order of a lower court in Devanahalli,on the collection of toll on the road leading to BIA.
Justice Ravi Malimath passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
This means commuters will have pay up the toll.`We have not yet received the court order copy.We will take a decision on when we will commence collecting the toll once we go through the order, said NHAI officials.
In April 2012,the JMFC court in Devanahalli had stayed the collection of toll following applications filed by several advocates complaining against Navayuga Constructions,the contractors and the NHAI.The applicants had claimed that the toll was causing a burden on farmers who use the airport road to ferry agricultural produce to Bangalore and other towns.

YOU HAVE TO PAY

Cars: Rs 20 Mini bus: Rs 30 Bus/trucks: Rs 60 Heavy vehicles: Rs 95/115