BENGALURU: If you are wondering what’s a quick fix to the city’s infrastructure woes and when it will be complete, here is Bengaluru development minister and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar’s stark admission: Even if god were to descend and walk on Bengaluru roads, nothing can be done in within the next one, two or three years!
“It is a difficult situation,” he said after inaugurating Namma Raste 2025, a workshop organised by BBMP and WRI India here Thursday. He also released the Namma Raste Handbook, a design standards manual for a nearly 13,000km road network in the city.
Shivakumar’s candid confession, which underscores the gravity of Bengaluru’s traffic and infrastructure crisis, comes at a time when the demand for pothole-free roads and smooth traffic is intense. Many Bengalureans had pinned hopes on Shivakumar, who had earlier collected more than 70,000 suggestions under the Brand Bengaluru project.
Explaining the challenges the city faces, Shivakumar turned the spotlight on space crunch: “The city’s population has touched 1.4 crore and the number of vehicles registered has also increased to 1.1 crore.” Reiterating that tunnel roads are the best solutions to Bengaluru’s traffic crisis, he said: “I’ve been talking about tunnel roads from the beginning (since coming to power), but we’re yet to call tenders. There are a lot of technical issues, land acquisition challenges and financial issues, among other things.”
This apart, the proposal pertaining to double-deckers faces challenges as Namma Metro work has been completed on several roads.
Need for coordination
The govt has decided to focus on improving existing roads by standardising road designs, quality of work and maintenance. “We have to plan properly and execute projects effectively,” he said while exhorting different civic agencies and stakeholders to work in unison.
On dangling cables marring the city’s visual appeal, he said instructions have been issued officials to remove all cables hanging in the open. He also said the state govt is planning to come out with a policy aimed at protecting people’s assets.
A few citizens who spoke on the occasion suggested making the city’s public transport systems more robust and efficient, along with addressing parking and related issues.
