Improving quality of life In Bangalore .. Walking and public transport ..

Palm Meadows - luxurious and neatly planned villas 

Yesterday I had to visit my friend's house in Whitefield, Palm Meadows, a luxurious Layout on the road to Whitefield for a birthday get-to-gether of Laxmi, our family friend. We left Koramangala 6 th block at 6.30 PM and by 7.30 PM we barely managed to come out of Koramangala I st block on the Outer Ring Road to Marathahalli. By 8.00  PM after a near fatal miss of a person and a bang on the bumper of my car, managed to reach Marathahalli. By 8.20 PM we were inside Palm Meadows. Almost two hours for a 15 km ride !!

After seeing the maze of traffic last evening, I decided to do my mite to reduce the traffic. It was decided against taking my car this morning to office, BMTC bus was the best option. After walking upto the bus stop and finding no buses coming, I decided to walk to the next bus stop. It went on like that stop and after stop and finally in 30 minutes time after covering 5 kms, reached my office at Silk Board, BTM Layout.

Feeling so good, writing this blog on this morning walk. Eventhough I have tried on earlier occasions going home walking in the evening after office, this is the first time I am walking to office in the morning. After a heavy rain at night, the roads were clean and the weather was perfect !! As I was narrating my victorious walk to George Sir of Purchase dept, he was mentioning that a purposeful morning walk has been completed !

2012 global survey on quality of life in cities.
Bangalore is better

I am not requesting that every Bangalorean give up his vehicle and take to the bus or walking everyday. But let us make it a point that our life in this city if it has to be enjoyable and worthwhile, we need to do something to ease the traffic congestion on Bangalore roads. 

If one stands at Silk Board junction, South Bangalore, one of the most congested traffic points in Bangalore city, you will be amazed to find how many four wheelers move with just a single occupant in all the directions ! It is not that these people are illiterate and ignorant of the need to preserve the environment and of the need to have a good quality of life for the residents of Bangalore, they are just brash and  arrogant, the "nouveau riche" wanting to show off their latest big car, showing off the success in their professional life ..

Let us take some simple decisions like -

1. encourage carpooling among office goers
2. let only private vehicles, including two wheelers with odd numbered number plates move on Bangalore roads on days 1,3 and 5, ie. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Let only cars with even numbered number plates move on Bangalore roads on days 2,4 and 6, ie. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Sundays every vehicle can have the right to be on the road ..
3. give right of space to public transport, example BMTC buses, private buses etc with a special lane on all days of the week.
4. demand Metro service (Mass Rapid Transport Systems - MRTS) be running in Bangalore in all sectors as early as possible. Hold and book authorities responsible for delay in implementing public projects and for causing great harm to project completion, if not for a genuine reason !

Let us together try to raise the quality of life in Bangalore city ! We have the enthusiasm, willingness to do hard work and intelligence to make Bangalore a great city, but we lack the discipline and the right attitude to make it work for the common good.  

A survey shows how Bangalore already suffers from a low quality of life 

George.