Will govt’s ambitious Bengaluru Mobility Plan be the panacea to end commuter woes?

Mobility

While the government’s efforts in 2019 are welcome, it is imperative to acknowledge that there is no single solution to transform mobility across all cities.

By Kanreddy Yeshwanth Reddy, Ola Mobility Institute Every city aspires to offer the best services of connectivity for its denizens. Be it world-class metro or train service, WiFi-enabled, air-conditioned public transport, or intracity roadways with superfast lanes. Every city in new India aspires to be a global city truly reflective of its rapid economic growth. It is, therefore, a welcome change to have the India’s Silicon Valley, the hub of all innovations, to focus on the fundamentals of mobility. With the intent to make every part of Bengaluru truly accessible - and for all at that, the state government has introduced a much-needed, comprehensive mobility plan for the city. The Bengaluru Mobility Plan, recently announced by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, aims to integrate various modes of transport with a heavy emphasis on augmenting footpaths in every part of the city. While an initial fund of Rs 50 crore has been earmarked for footpath development, the state budget has also allotted Rs 8,300 crore for development of citizen-friendly infrastructure in the next three years such as elevated corridors, LED street lighting, smart parking systems, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, last mile connectivity for metro, along with construction of a peripheral ring road, among others. The thrust by the government to reduce dependence on private vehicles and increase reliance on public transport is evident and much needed. Under the Bengaluru Mobility Plan, the government shall initiate a feasibility study for multimodal transport hubs at various parts of the city as well as to improve seamless intermodal integration of the metro rail service with bus terminuses located throughout the city. Such an initiative by the state government could not have come at a more opportune time for Bengaluru. The city today is reeling under the constant pressure of traffic-congestion, resulting from rapid urbanisation and unfettered motorisation. Data from Ola Analytics suggests that the average speed in the city has dropped from 20.4 km/hr in 2016 to 17.2 km/hr in 2017, with Bengaluru recording the lowest average speed amongst the top 7 metro cities in India. At 6.1 million, Bengaluru has the highest number of registered vehicles, second only to Delhi which as 8.5 million registrations, according to data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 2016. This translates to a whopping 725 vehicles per 1000 persons in Bengaluru, compared to 528 vehicles per 1000 persons in Delhi, and 351 vehicles per 1000 persons in Hyderabad. Further, Bengaluru has a vehicular density of 469 per km of road as against the vehicular density of 310 per km of road in Delhi. These alarming trends elucidate the stress on the urban infrastructure in Bengaluru due to high vehicle ownership. While the government’s efforts in 2019 are welcome, it is imperative to acknowledge that there is no single solution to transform mobility across all cities. Every city by virtue of its unique culture, economy, geography, and size has characteristics different from those of others and makes urban mobility planning and implementation that much more challenging. What is essential is to understand a citizen’s choice and needs as best as the government can. Is there a blueprint perhaps that cities could adopt, customise, and practise? The answer lies in the Ease of Moving Index recently developed by Ola Mobility Institute. The Index is a comprehensive framework to help cities evaluate their mobility scenarios on 50+ parameters categorized into the three pillars of People, Infrastructure, and Sustainability. The 2018 edition of the index, based on a survey of 43000+ residents across 20 Indian cities, provides rich insights on the mobility scenario in Bengaluru and captures the mobility choices, needs, and aspirations of its denizens. Bengaluru’s citizens feel public transport is safe, that the coverage of public transport is good, and that trip lengths are short. The city ranks high on the awareness of and necessity for eco-friendly vehicles. About 75% of the citizens feel that the mobility scenario in Bengaluru has improved in the last five years. However, this number is lower than the national average where 80% feel the mobility scenario has improved. While there are lessons to be learnt for every city, Bengaluru’s rating on the different parameters in the Index indicates the need for a comprehensive strategy to improve mobility for citizens, while reducing traffic-congestion. The Ease of Moving Index for Bengaluru reveals that 86% of the citizens would shift to public transport if it was affordable, had better coverage, and was more comfortable. Further, 70% citizens do not use public transport because of concerns on safety, availability, and convenience. 70% of the citizens also emphasise the need for improving first and last mile connectivity to increase adoption of Public Transportation. The thrust on augmenting footpaths in new Mobility Plan of the city is, therefore, in synchronisation with the needs of the citizens. As recognised by the government, the Ease of Moving Index study for Bengaluru too, acknowledges that large scale infrastructure projects to reduce congestion would achieve the desired results only if they are accompanied by a change in modal preference by commuters in favor of non-motorized transport and public transportation. Given that 78% of Bengalureans feel owning a car is important and given the limitations of coverage of public transportation, first and last mile connectivity would play a crucial role in bringing in a behavioural shift. While the comprehensive mobility scheme is a welcome initiative by the government, the proposed measures need to further address the expectations of the citizens to achieve desired results. This means that intermediate public transport in the form of auto-rickshaws -- shared or single hail --, taxis and cabs, bikes and public bicycle sharing, mini-buses and more should all be strengthened, for these forms of shared mobility offer the requisite first- and last-mile connectivity in cities. The Index, additionally, identifies improving frequency and coverage of public transport, parking at public transit stations, real-time information system on public transport, cycle tracks and footpaths, improving air quality, reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing the share of public transport, improving street lighting as some of the top focus areas for Bengaluru. In the same vein of the new comprehensive mobility plan for Bengaluru, the government should continue prioritising its spending on making public transportation and non-motorized transport as the most preferred modes of commute for the citizens. The returns on such an investment are higher than investing in large infrastructure projects. Given that a large number of Bengalureans feel the urgent need to bring back the Garden City to its glory days and the government seems to agree, with the right emphasis on comprehensive mobility, this is definitely mission possible. Views expressed are author's own Kanreddy Yeshwanth Reddy is a graduate from Indian School of Business. He is a Public Policy expert in transportation and currently leads research and outreach for Urban Mobility at Ola Mobility Institute, a policy research and social innovation think-tank . He has previously worked at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

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Why did 11 villages in Karnataka’s Belagavi boycott the Lok Sabha polls?

Boycott

The villagers refrained from voting to register their protest against the Forest Department for hindering development works in their villages.

Polling booth in Uttara Kannada wearing a deserted look

By Nagaratna Harikant Despite the Election Commission’s efforts to achieve 100% polling in the Lok Sabha elections, only two persons from 11 remote villages falling under the Uttara Kannada Parliamentary constituency exercised their vote on April 23. The villagers belonging to Gavali, Chapoli, Chirekhani, Mudugai, Kapoli, Pastoli, Kongala, Krishnapura, Holda, Degaon and Talewadi stayed away from the elections to register their protest against the Forest Department for hindering development works in the villages. The villagers had submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Khanapur Tahsildar, upset over the lack of basic infrastructure such as schools and healthcare facilities, but to no avail. With the 11 villages, situated on the fringe of the Bhimghad Sanctuary on the border with Goa, boycotting the elections, the polling booths set up in these villages wore a deserted look, even as the whole of north Karnataka went to polling. Except for a gram panchayat waterman and an anganwadi worker, none of the 1,854 eligible voters from the 564 families belonging to the 11 villages cast their vote. The villagers paid no heed to the polling officials’ request to come and vote. “There are 11 villages in the Bhimghad Sanctuary jurisdiction. Two polling booths were exclusively set up inside the forest to facilitate voting for the families in these villages, but only two votes were cast in the Chapoli booth,” confirmed Assistant Returning Officer AH Umesh. Why are the villagers upset? Nestled in the Western Ghats, the Bhimghad forest in Khanapur taluk is home to tigers, black panther, sloth bear, king cobra and the rare Wroughton’s free-tailed bat. The Mahadayi river takes birth in the Bhimghad forest and joins the Arabian Sea in Goa. The Bhimghad Sanctuary was declared a sanctuary in 2011. Since the 11 villages are within the jurisdiction of the sanctuary, no development works have been taken up under the Wildlife Protection Act. Bhimgad check post centre In fact, the state government has issued a gazetted notification to rehabilitate these forest dwellers. As per the notification, 800 acres of land was identified in Gavali village for the rehabilitation process. However, nothing much has been done because a committee to supervise the rehabilitation process is yet to be formed. The committee has to comprise an Assistant Commissioner and a Special Tahsildar. For the past many years, the forest department and the Belagavi district administration have been requesting the state government to fill up these special posts so that the rehabilitation work can start, but in vain. As a result, the forest dwellers are deprived of basic amenities like power, education and health. The villages are located 12 to 15 km from the Bhimghad Sanctuary main check post, so during the rainy season, they remain completely cut off from the main town. Agriculture is the primary source of income for the villagers. Besides, as per the Forest Ministry, the villagers were supposed to receive Rs 10 lakh as rehabilitation package. The package was later increased to Rs 15 lakh. Yet, due to apparent technical glitches, the rehabilitation process is in the backburner. If the forest dwellers decide to leave the forest on their own, they would not be entitled to the rehabilitation package. The villagers now do not have any other choice but to be at the mercy of the state government. The forest dwellers are hoping that Forest Minister Satish Jarkiholi, who hails from Belagavi district, would do justice to them without any delay. Story by www.storyinfinity.com (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP).

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Bengaluru man assaulted by cops contracts pneumonia, battles for life

Crime

Mohammed Tanveer’s kidneys were damaged due to the assault by police officers at Deverajeevana Halli Police Station in the early hours of April 10.

Theja Ram

After being cruelly assaulted for hours by the police, 23-year-old Mohammed Tanveer is battling for his life in Bengaluru. According to officials at Bengaluru’s Shifaa Hospital, Tanveer developed pneumonia on Tuesday and is still lodged in the Intensive Care Unit. Doctors, however, did not divulge what could have caused the pneumonia. Tanveer’s kidneys were damaged due to the assault by police officers at Deverajeevana Halli Police Station in the early hours of April 10. Given that Tanveer has been suffering from pneumonia, his immunity is compromised and this may aggravate his overall condition and even recovery from the assault injuries, doctors say. “He is unable to wake up and keep his eyes open for too long. He says he is in a lot of pain,” Tanveer’s brother Mohammed Musaveer told TNM. According to the renal function test performed at the hospital, Tanveer’s serum creatinine level plummeted to 8.68. “The creatinine level must be between 0.4 and 1.4. If this does not come down in the next few days, it will become difficult for him to recuperate,” doctors said. Tanveer was put on dialysis since April 18 in order to reduce the creatinine levels. However, the doctors have been forced to stop dialysis after he was diagnosed with pneumonia. “Once the pneumonia is treated, then we can put him back on dialysis. He is young and has a chance of recuperating. But his situation is currently critical. We will have to keep him in the ICU for the next few days,” the doctor added. On April 10, Tanveer and his friend Danish were on their way to buy medicines at around 12.40am. Tanveer was talking to his mother on the phone when he was stopped by constable Ayyappa attached with the DJ Halli Police Station. Ayyappa allegedly beat Tanveer with his lathi so hard that it broke in half, as the latter took a few seconds longer to hang up the phone. Tanveer was dragged to the DJ Halli Police Station along with Danish and brutally beaten up by nine police officers from 1am to 8am on April 10. Tanveer’s brother Musaveer alleges that their father was made to watch while the police made Danish slap Tanveer multiple times until he became unconscious. Constable Ayyappa allegedly made the other police officers spit on Tanveer’s face. Musaveer alleges that the police broke four lathis and damaged one iron road as they assaulted Tanveer. Police have booked Ayyappa and Sub Inspector Santhosh under sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC. SI Santosh and Ayyappa have been suspended pending inquiry. The probe is being conducted by DCP East Rahul Kumar. “So far, the probe has not gone any further. Tanveer had mentioned in the complaint that nine officers assaulted him but he does not know their names. We can take further action after he identifies them. We will take him to the police station to identify the officers from a line-up after he is discharged,” a senior police officer said.     

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Bengaluru ambulance driver loses license for using vehicle as cab

Traffic

The police was alerted by a motorist who gave way to the ambulance in March but suspected misuse of the vehicle.

Soumya Chatterjee

Bengaluru’s traffic snarls are infamous and motorists have tried (and failed) to get around it. But now police have apprehended one man for allegedly using an ambulance to ferry office-goers during peak traffic hours. The ambulance was meant to serve a leading real estate company. The accused Bala’s driving license has been suspended and he has been slapped with a fine of Rs 600. The incident came to light after one unsuspecting motorist, Rana Patel, had given way to the ambulance on March 27. He later noticed that there were many passengers inside the ambulance dressed as if they were going to work. Rana detailed his experience on the Bengaluru City Police Facebook page. He also posted photos and videos of the ambulance passing near Agrahara Layout in Yelahanka. Officials of the Bengaluru Traffic Police commented on the post and said that they would take necessary action. “We are already creating awareness & also booking more... cases regularly against such violators and will strictly enforce it in the future. [We] have informed the sector traffic officer to check and take necessary action,” they wrote. The vehicle was traced by the registration number posted by Rana. However, this is not the first such incident, according to police. They have previously cancelled licenses of other drivers who have misused ambulances for non-emergency purposes. Close to a 1,000 ambulances operate in Bengaluru, and traffic police officials have been instructed to monitor activities during non-emergency situations. MA Saleem, a traffic management expert and a retired IPS officer said, “This is not very unusual. The police have started doing drives against ambulance drivers due to rising incidents. We get complaints of them being misused. We have seen them used to ferry school children early in the morning.” He added, “During drives, it has also been found that sometimes ambulance drivers are drunk. But otherwise we cannot take criminal action against them. We cancel their licenses as per the Motor Vehicle Act.”

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How Olympic swimmer Nisha Millet is changing swimming coaching in Bengaluru

Sports

With her own swimming academy, Nisha and a team of instructors hold sessions for toddlers, kids, adults and senior citizens in nine pools throughout Bengaluru.

Nikhita Venugopal

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When Olympic swimmer Nisha Millet was five years old, she was almost turned away from swimming for life. At a family friend’s home, she was accidentally pushed into a small fish pond. Though she was pulled out almost immediately, the traumatising incident stayed with her. “I would literally stay away from pools,” Nisha tells TNM. It wasn’t until a few years later that Nisha finally started to love the water. Under the tutelage of her father, she slowly started to appreciate swimming. He wouldn’t force her to swim or push her into the pool when she wasn’t ready. Instead, he made a game out of it -- dropping coins into the water for her to retrieve, teaching her to use a kickboard. Her father’s patient guidance, coupled with elements of fun, is what still informs Nisha’s teaching style today. Before Nisha started learning swimming from her father, she tried taking swimming classes in Bengaluru. But her instructor neither attempted to make her comfortable in the water nor introduced fun activities or games into the sessions. As with so many swimming classes, Nisha was just pushed straight into the deep end. “By the end of 10 to 15 days, I had learned nothing. That could have really put me off,” she recalls. Own swimming academy But ultimately, Nisha didn’t just fall in love with swimming, she excelled at it. In 2000, she became the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the Olympics in the 200-metre freestyle, and represented India at the Sydney Olympics. She has also represented the country in the World Swimming Championships, the Asian Games, the South Asian Games and the Australian Nationals. In 1997 and 1999, she was named ‘best sportswoman’ by the Prime Minister of India. In 2001, Nisha started training in her free time at the Catholic Club. At the time, her parents had worked hard to finance her swimming career and Nisha wanted a way to help them in return. In 2004, after she narrowly missed taking part in the Olympics, Nisha turned her attention completely to teaching. Since then, through the Nisha Millet Swimming Academy, she has been passing on her skills and knowledge to generations of swimmers in Bengaluru. With her own swimming academy, she and a team of instructors hold sessions for toddlers, kids, adults and senior citizens in nine pools throughout the city, including Kensington Pool in Ulsoor and Catholic Club on Museum Road. They have also been certified by Austswim, Australia’s national centre for the teaching of swimming and water safety. Some instructors have also completed various levels of Austswim training. And along the way, she noticed that students were responding marvellously to her style of teaching. “We teach with a lot of passion, with a lot of heart,” she says. The prices for the sessions vary depending on the program. For example, 15 classes over the summer is priced at Rs 5,900, while competitive classes for a minimum of six months go up to Rs 15,576. ‘We never push people in’ In her years of teaching kids, Nisha frequently encounters parents who assume their child will learn how to swim in just a few weeks. ‘By 15 days, my four-year-old should be swimming across the length of the pool’ is a sentiment she’s heard often. But it’s important to remember that every child has his or her own learning curve and some will take more time than others. That’s why she tries to encourage parents and kids to continue classes beyond just the summer vacation months. Maintaining a student-teacher ratio of one to eight, Nisha says her academy tries to give as much individualised attention as possible to each person, whether adult or child. And she isn’t interested in pushing people into the deep end. “Unless you’re teaching proper techniques from Day 1, it’s very, very scary for people to be suddenly thrown in,” she says. Those techniques include the importance of water safety, various breathing exercises and staying underwater, to name a few. “Those kind of experiences are more important than learning the stroke,” she explains. Nisha also instructs her coaches to be patient with younger students, especially if they’re scared. And to never, ever force them into the water. “We never push people in,” she says. Guiding swimmers of all ages In recent years, Bengaluru residents have turned health conscious and people are starting to understand the importance of exercise, Nisha says. And with the addition of several heated pools to their roster, they’re now able to hold classes throughout the year and maintain attendance beyond just the summer months. Two years ago, the academy introduced a competitive program for children ages seven to 17 at the Kensington Pool in Ulsoor. Currently, there are 60 kids on the team – known as the Marlins – and they are ranked sixth in the state. Many of the swimmers have also gone on to win national and state-level medals. Aside from that, Nisha is also introducing new elements at her academy for adults. This week, the centre will launch its first-ever triathlon training program in anticipation of the Ironman 70.3 Goa event to be held this year. The workshop on April 23 and 24 will include instruction from a group of trained experts, including 23-time Ironman competitor Kaustubh Radkar. The sessions will include instruction on open-water swimming, strength conditioning, injury prevention and endurance training for running and cycling. She’s also planning to start special sessions for pregnant women as swimming is a safe way for them to exercise and stay cool. From student to teacher 24-year-old Kruthika CR started swimming classes with Nisha years ago and has never looked back. Nisha’s coaching style not only made Kruthika fall in love with swimming, she says, but also inspired her to become a coach. Kruthika started as an assistant coach and now works as a part-time coach for younger children. Like Nisha, she always introduces a fun element or game into the classes to keep the kids engaged. “It never felt like a routine workout,” says Kruthika, referring to her classes with Nisha, adding, “She was a very, very patient coach.”

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Why Bengaluru is observing 'Zero Shadow Day' on Wednesday

Science

On a Zero Shadow Day, there will be almost no visible shadow seen at a particular time. In Bengaluru's case, it's 12:18 pm sharp on Wednesday.

TNM Staff

Wednesday marks Zero Shadow Day in Bengaluru and it is being celebrated at the Jawaharlal Nehru planetarium in the city. On a Zero Shadow Day, there will be almost no visible shadow seen at 12:18 pm sharp in Bengaluru. This is because the sun will be at its zenith on top of the city.  The phenomenon occurs twice a year as the sun traces its path to the Tropic of Cancer and then retraces its path towards the south. Usually, the sun transits by small margins towards the north or south around noon. But on Zero Shadow Day, it will be exactly overhead.  The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in the city is celebrating Zero Shadow Day by observing it and organising a workshop. “We had about 50 students for the workshop and about 400 people who came to the planetarium to observe the Zero Shadow Days last year. We have also done various trial runs to ensure that everything goes smoothly,” said Pramod Galgali, the director of Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, told the Deccan Herald.  The workshop is being organised for students studying in Class 8 and higher to understand the science behind the phenomenon.  Zero Shadow Day will also be observed in Chennai at 12:07 pm. It can also be observed in other cities like Mangaluru, New Delhi and Jaipur, although the timings may vary. 

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Bengaluru residents shift to sustainable measures amidst water crisis

Water

With BBMP water tankers remaining elusive, many apartments and neighbourhoods have dug recharge wells ahead of the monsoon to raise groundwater levels.

Soumya Chatterjee

With the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) water tankers remaining elusive, residents in Bengaluru have been forced to look for alternatives in the form of sustainable measures.  The BBMP tender for organising tanker supplied water to parched areas in 110 newly added villages within BBMP limits, has failed to attract bidders for the second time in a month.  Officials in the BBMP said that a meeting headed by BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad will be held later this week to decide the next course of action. Sources said the primary contention in the tender that is deterring the private tanker operators is the mandatory installation of Global Positioning System (GPS).  Private tanker operators also cite the history of BBMP defaulting on paying bills to its service providers along with the red tape associated with it, as other dissuading factors.  While there is an acute shortage in many areas like Marathahalli, Whitefield, Bellandur among others, it has been widely reported how residents, especially apartment dwellers, were left at the mercy of the private water tanker operators. As most of the bore wells have gone dry, apartment dwellers are forced to deal in bulk orders at exorbitant orders. This prompted the BBMP to react to the situation. Incidentally, the civic body’s failure to supply water in times of need has forced residents of the city to look for alternative sources of water. Many apartments and neighbourhoods have dug recharge wells ahead of the monsoon to raise groundwater levels. “With city groundwater plunging, I am so convinced that the only hope for the city to get out of this downward spiral on plunging water levels is recharge through both recharge wells and rainwater harvesting. That is the only sustainable solution to reverse the water depletion and make us water secure,” said Odette Katrak, co-founder of Beautiful Bengaluru — a citizen initiative to advocate for sustainable causes. She added, “We're really going all out to get residents aware of this, and glad to see many showing interest and asking us for contacts. We've been connecting them with both experts and well-diggers whose numbers we have been circulating as well.” Other than recharge wells and rainwater harvesting, there is also a renewed push for using sewage treatment plant (STP)-treated water for gardening and car washing. Installation of water meters and aerators in taps have also seen a significant reduction in water usage.

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