Dr. asj, I am still to read comprehensively to understand some of the glaring contradictions and flaws in the plan. If I am not wrong, the conclusions you have made is that Pune doesn't need such a huge expenditure on infrastructure to offset some of the chaotic traffic scenarios. I am in total agreement with your conclusions. And this is true for all other cities and their mega projects. All these mega projects looks fantastic on paper and budget amounts. Only community who will benefit from these projects are corporate world (Construction Companies), bureaucrats and their jurisdictional political bosses. Just analyze/investigate each and every example you have sighted. Otherwise how would you explain a "Traffic Signal" on the flyover? With conviction, I believe that our present day traffic challenges can be mitigated by simple and cost effective solutions. To support my statement, take the case of the talk of HSRL for Bangalore airport. It involves few thousand crores and also the results are not be seen in coming months. May be in 3-4 years. Nobody seems to look into alternate solutions to make use of the existing road infrastructure. We all know there are alternate roads to BIAL apart from NH7. What is needed is developing these roads further and giving access to BIAL premisses from other sides (other than NH7 side) would definitely meet the connectivity requirements. It may need some arm twisting of BIAL mgmt, instead of VIP lounge and HAL open cries. If we take this little further, convincing railways to introduce commuter service on the exiting lines and stations, supplemented by last mile connectivity to the airport and the homes from nearby stations. In addition a route rationalization of BMTC service (local public transport) would solve majority of general public's connectivity complains. Isn't VV service made use of? As you had articulated many times, with driver education and awareness, strict lane discipline and good enforcement, our lot of present day traffic problems would be solved. But problem is, these solutions doesn't offer any incentive to corporate houses, business circles, bureaucrats and politicians. Bigger project, more money, more gratifications, more share and more powerful assertions. It all about More........Dil Mange more?

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If one wishes to make a change, focus should be on reforming the insitutions who will run with these plans. Plans just don't matter unless the execution side of things are improved.

Are there any plans for a greater pune metropolitan body like the Kasturirangan co's MPC for Bangalore? How is PMC rated in general on execution for projects? Here in Bangalore, BBMP and BDA have perhaps the worst reputations of all local bodies.

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SK, Mumbai has a MMRDA (Pune will get one some day)- but what is the remit and focus of such bodies? Development, development and more development. One will hope they have the requisite skills/experience, yet not too long ago, I wrote to them asking them to pull out footpath blocking bus stops they have been instrumental in installing in Mumbai. The focus should be TDM - traffic demand management, this changes the perspective completely from building more to managing with what we have already. When after doing everything that one can (including dis-incentives for personal use of vehicles), if it was felt that more road building was needed, then it will make sense. Right now all we have is ad-hocism. The SB Road in Pune where they want to build 2 tunnels and one elevated road, all merging in some way at the law college end is a disastrous idea. All traffic coming from 2 tunnels, one elevated road and also the exsisting SB road has to somehow flow in to the Law college road and the BMCC road, the two outlets - both roads are 1+1 lanes (as narrow as that). How exactly is this going to help? Its like have chest pain, do by-pass (when asprin and diet with exercise may suffice - leave alone angioplasty). ASJ

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