Latest News For 'Bangalore (Bengalooru)'
June 6th, 2007
India’s silicon valley is turning to technology to soothe its traffic woes. The Bangalore traffic police has tied up with mobile service providers to provide people traffic information through a simple SMS. Now Airtel users can send an SMS to 54321 and get updates on traffic jams, bus locations and even travel routes and time.
“We are aware of the traffic jams in the city. Therefore, we are working together with the government and the authorities to bring out a service that can enable you to find out more about the traffic jams and the road conditions so that you can plan your travel accordingly,” President-Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel Ltd, Sanjay Kapoor said.
The logic is simple. Mobile service providers have access to data about concentration of people. Based on the movement of people, they can determine the approximate number of vehicles on the road.
However, it is not just about mapping traffic in the city but to also ease the pressure on roads and the traffic police believe that the use of technology will help.
“The core of the B-Trac is intelligent transportation system. Intelligence driven management of traffic, and that’s the way the world is going. Bangalore has to be in the forefront of implementing IT in all its sectors. Bangalore needs solutions which are technology driven and we are working on that,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), MN Reddi said.
Electronic billboards, SMSes on traffic jams and blackberry devices for traffic cops – the city sure is going hi-tech to deal with a problem that’s growing every day. And the high mobile penetration in the city will make this becomes a popular service. But its effectiveness in solving Bangalore’s traffic problems will depend on how quickly the government can get other mobile operators on board.
Source: ibnlive.com
May 7th, 2007
Bangalore: Unlike other states where overloaded trucks are strictly restrained, Karnataka has largely neglected taking action in this regard. Result: Plummeting road safety levels and a monstrous Rs 1,709 crore in damage to roads.
This cost includes damage to the state’s highways, major district roads and bridges. Irked by Karnataka’s cold response to this menace, the Centre gave the state government a dressing down recently and directed it to strictly implement the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Union minister for road transport and highways T R Baalu, while speaking at the 10th National Road Safety Council meeting in Coimbatore recently, asked Karnataka and other states with high truck-traffic density to act tough against overloading.
According to Centre, road damage in Karnataka has been high in the mining belts — the roads that link Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts with that of ports in Mangalore, Karwar, Goa. What makes it worse is that the damage caused to roads by overloaded trucks was disproportionate to the gains, Baalu had observed.
Figures show Baalu’s observations are accurate. State’s gains from the mining industry during 2005-06 is a meagre Rs 84 crore, collected in the form of royalty. But nearly 90 per cent of the overloaded trucks in the state originate from the mining districts.
Why is the state government soft-pedalling action against overloaded trucks? The answer is obvious. Transportation of mining material is a multi-crore business and several powerful politicians are associated with it. In 2006, 492 cases were booked against illegal mining units. “It is such units which indulge in overloading ore and have a nexus with officials,’’ sources said.
Spiking the allegation, transport commissioner M C Narayana Gowda said: “We are coming down heavily against overloading. Apart from setting up six checkposts in Bellary and Tumkur districts, mobile squads have been put in place to deal exclusively with overloading.’’
During 2006-07, the department checked 4,80,236 trucks and booked 18,545 cases against vehicle drivers and owners for overloading. The total fine collected was Rs 8.92 lakh, he said.
Source: TOI(Bangalore epaper)
May 4th, 2007
Bangalore: In an effort to provide early relief to accident victims on national, state highways and major district roads, the state government will open 44 roadside trauma centres shortly.
Health minister R Ashok said on Thursday that the proposal was to build rooms near existing hospitals on the roadside. “We have sanctioned Rs 46.9 crore for the project. An orthopaedician will mandatorily be on duty 24 hours. We will provide 50 ambulances specifically for these trauma centres.’’
To improve the performance of primary health centres (PHCs), 250 doctors have been appointed, applications have been sought to recruit another 250, while an additional 487 doctors will be taken on contract. Interviews are on to appoint 2,807 paramedical staff, Ashok added.
Source : TOI (epaper)
May 3rd, 2007
The proposed Magadi Road-ORR junction grade separator, for which chief minister H D Kumaraswamy laid the foundation stone on Wednesday, became imperative given the persistent traffic problem at Magadi Road. It was accorded top priority in the list of Rs 133-crore worth projects in the pipeline.
“The new grade separator, which will be completed in 18 months, will be a bi-directional flyover leading to Tumkur Road in the north and Mysore Road in the south,’’ said BDA commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda. It is hoped that the flyover will ease traffic by 57.6 per cent at the junction.
Taking a dig at his opponents and previous governments, Kumaraswamy blamed the lack of planning for the city’s poor infrastructure. “Lack of vision has taken its toll on the city. While BDA’s ORR is narrow, commercial spaces at BDA complexes are simply inadequate and lack basic facilities like parking and greenery. A good plan can ensure better facilities. We have proposed underground parking at the BDA complex on the lines of Palika Bazaar in Delhi,’’ explained Kumaraswamy. He motored through Magadi Road to reach Banashankari II Stage, where he laid the foundation for the additional floor at the BDA complex.
Revenue Sites Dilemma
Expressing concern over increasing encroachment and illegal land dealings, especially with revenue sites, the CM said: “Many illegal houses are being demolished. Politicians may have promised people title deeds. But I am afraid we need to sort out many legal issues before that.”
In a Nutshell
- Grade separator over Magadi Road-Outer Ring Road junction — Rs 25 cr New six-lane ORR with twolane service roads connecting
- Mysore Road-Magadi Road, a railway underbridge — Rs 36.7 cr New six-lane ORR with twolane service roads connecting
- Mysore Road and Magadi Road — Rs 53 cr New underpass for Bangalore-Mysore railway line along
- ORR at Nayandahalli — Rs 5.24 cr Shifting utilities at the project site — Rs 11.6 cr
Other works — ongoing and proposed Adding second floor at BDA complex in Banashankari Metalling major roads in I to VI blocks in Sir M Visvesvaraya Nagar.
Source : TOI (epaper)
April 30th, 2007
Case 1: April 27 night: A car with five youths rammed into the median and an electric pole on the Bangalore-Mysore road, near Maddur, killing two and seriously injuring three.
Case 2: A manager of a media house mowed down three GPO employees near Minsk Square two months ago. The driver was allegedly drunk and fled the scene after the mishap. All the three employees, returning to their office after dinner, were killed on the spot.
Case 3: Traffic sub-inspector Arun Kumar was knocked down by a speeding SUV during a regular checking on Cubbon Road last year. This driver too managed to escape.
Accidents, deaths and injuries continue to be on the rise and the accident pattern has one common reason — reckless driving. Every year, police book over a lakh cases for dangerous driving and overspeeding but lessons are not learnt. While the onus is on the motorists/drivers, the police also have a major role to play.
Explains DCP, traffic (east division) M A Saleem: “Enforcement is easier in cities but difficult on the outskirts and highways.”
“Police presence, checks and balances, including barricading and signal lights are more in the city while it is difficult to have policemen all along the long stretches on the outskirts. In Cubbon Park police limits, during 2006, only one person died due to accident. It was due to strict enforcement.’’
Police say utilisation of technology would help in a great deal in this regard. Enforcement cameras will help track the offenders. In the city, five enforcement cameras will be installed in a few months time, Saleem said. On the highways, there should be check points at regular intervals and speed cameras, they say.
Rural police alert as well
After the strict implementation of drunk and drive checks in the city, drag race culture has shifted to rural areas. The police are also aware of this.
“We have information about big scale parties, if not rave party, being hosted in rural limits. In fact, just three days back the Kunigal police had taken 26 youngsters into custody at a farmhouse between Kunigal and Nelamangala,’’ Bangalore rural superintendent of police Srinivas said. Police feel drag races were common after such parties at farm houses.
Source: TOI (epaper)
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