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Urgent - have your say on the magic boxes!
admin123 - 1 August, 2008 | Bangalore | BBMP | magic boxes | Flyovers and underpasses
Here is a request from a long time Praja member (see email pasted below). Apparently, the ongoing efforts (to slow down the magic boxes) in the High Court might be driven by those who may prefer flyovers over magic boxes. We don't want to get in these battles as there is no way to prove things one way or another. But, if you believe that Bengaluru should first do due diligence with magic boxes before considering flyovers as solution at any intersection, please pitch in by sending a postal letter to BBMP as soon as you can.
Of course, you are free to state otherwise in your letter as well, that the flyovers are better solution than magic boxes. But from what we have read of Prajagale here, the popular opinion seems to be that both flyovers and the magic boxes are short term solutions at best, unless planned in such a way that they create corridors on few km long heavy traffic stretches. 8 flyovers on ORR to make it a corridor is perhaps okay as it is a wide six lane high speed road. But so was the magic box approach on Bellary Road. However, as magic boxes are so much cheaper, we would want them to be considered and ruled out first before considering flyovers, especially inside the city areas. As far as the litigation in the court is concerned, we wish the court will end this by making BBMP hire a neutral consultant to do a much bigger exercise - calculate the ROI on magix boxes as well as flyovers.
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I seek support from Praja to send letters of support to Dr. S. Subramanya, Commissioner, BBMP, regarding "Magic Boxes".
Vested private contractors are trying to derail the "magic boxes" since they cost significantly less and also require far lesser time to implement. Hence the PIL in High Court.
BBMP needs physical letters to show to the Hon'ble High Court. Letters from individual Praja members addressed to Commissioner, BBMP, indicating that I am happy with the magic box solution currently implemented on the way to the airport (Cauvery Junction, BDA Junction, CBI junction, etc), and requesting BBMP to extend Magic boxes to other parts of the city for speedy implementation and resolution of traffic problems.
Letters should be sent by post to :
The Commissioner
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
N.R. Square
Bangalore - 560 001
Thanks in advance to all the members for their support.
COMMENTS
Copy of my letter
mcadambi - 1 August, 2008 - 05:10
To,
The Honorable Commissioner,
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP),
N R Square,
Bangalore – 560 001
Cc,
The Honorable Judge,
High Court of Karnataka,
Bangalore, Karnataka
Dear Sir,
Subject: Support for Magic Boxes
I read with great concern that a Public Interest Litigation has been filed by Shri K N Bhagawan, a Syndicate Member of Bangalore University against the design of the Magic Box technology used for underpasses by the BBMP. Ref: Times of India, Bangalore Edition, Dated 31/07/2008. Ref URL: [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Notice_to_BBMP_over_magic_boxes_/articleshow/3308289.cms]
While the concerns of Shri K N Bhagawan are noted, there is no need to throw out the baby (the magic box) along with the bathwater (flaws in the design).
With any new design there are bound to be shortcomings. Every new idea evolves into a better product. For example, Microsoft Corporation released a version of the Windows Operating System in the 1980s and now we have a much more advanced product offering from Microsoft. This analogy is provided because there is sufficient room for improvement and fine tuning of the Magic Box technology.
It should also be noted that there is indeed a cartel of Consultants, Contractors who would like BBMP to continue with the conventional underpass technology so that it's cost and hence, there interest and profits remain high. This was noted by Shri Krishnaprasad, in “The Hindu”, Bangalore Edition, Dated June 6th 2008. Ref URL [http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/06/stories/2008060651180300.htm]
When spending tax payer's hard earned money, cost is not a factor, but in the interest of tax payers, COST EFFECTIVENESS is. Hence, by spending about Rs. 3 – 4 Crore on magic boxes instead of ten times that amount on conventional underpasses, cost effectiveness is more in the former. While some fine tuning needs to be done to the former, the latter is quite outmoded.
By writing this letter to you, I also give you the full authority to furnish the same as part of your reply petition. I appeal to the judge to quash down the ulterior motives of the contractor, consultant lobby who are using un-ethical and un-competitive actions to undermine the finances of BBMP and the economic well being of the City of Bengaluru.
Regards, Attachments: Copies of Newspaper Clippings
Send by register post
mcadambi - 1 August, 2008 - 09:50
I sent it by register post.
Plan the Magic
Photoyogi - 1 August, 2008 - 04:53
I have been tracking the Magic Boxes since the first one poped up at Cauvery Junction. I am in agreement with admins post that the contractors would like to derail the magic boxs. With each of the Magic boxes costing about 1 Cr and a conventional flyover exceeding several tens of Crores the "scope" to make money for these contractors is greatly reduced. Infact the question that is crossing my mind at this moment is that. Is it possible that the Magic Boxes were intentionally under-sized so that it may not work well? I have 2 candidates to support this line of thought. 1) Anandnagar underpass - 3.5m or 11.5 Ft 2) Cunningham road underpass - 3.3m or 10 Ft The Anandnagar Underpass could easily afford a wider passage. The Cunningham road U/P could have had at least 1 more meter width to make it more usable. I Strongly feel that magic boxes planned well do solve immediate problems in the limited time frame and with minimum cost to the exchequer. These must not be stopped but a word of caution that the planning should be done correctly. -- Praveen Sundaram AkA PhotoYogi
Nice one Mcadambi
silkboard - 1 August, 2008 - 05:34
I am going to use yours as a template and prepare mine.
Come on, lets all pitch in - for magic boxes or against, jump in and just try this. Its as easy as writing a letter and dropping it in the letterbox.
I asked around, unfortunately, the courts don't value online stuff or emails, or else we can easily setup an 'online petition" here.
Mine is going too..
Bengloorappa - 1 August, 2008 - 07:08
I am sending in my letter(s 
), but it will take atleast 5 days to reach BBMP, I hope that is ok.
Why doesn't the BBMP use an online petition model? - They have a website and it is pretty easy to setup one. If fake online petitions are a concern, the same logic can be applied to fake letters as well.
Magic Boxes Should not come in the way of Metro/Mono alignment
Vasanth - 3 August, 2008 - 03:34
Before the introduction of magic boxes, BBMP has to consult BMRC for the alignment of Metro/Mono. They are planning for signal free Ring Road using magic boxes, the mono alignment on the ORR will get troubled. Already there is Jayadeva and Silkboard flyovers on the alignment.
Improved quality magic boxes is what we want. Conventional underpass and flyovers are highly time consuming taking years to build which Bangalore traffic cannot wait. We want a better quality magic underpass.
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