If there is ONE person whose expertise is most needed urgently in India then it is Enrique Peñalosa. If there was a rule saying that in the year 2009 only one person can be brought into India I would pick Enrique Peñalosa. I have been hearing about Bogota's excellent public transport system of late and I did some research. So far my impression of Bogota was that it was the drug capital of the world and that it was equal to if not worse than a third world country. But the photos and information in these links have made me change my mind and conclude that it must be a 2nd world country much better, more civilized and disciplined than India -

http://www.gobrt.org/Transmilenio.html

Play the video in this link (pay special attention to the video starting at minute 11.32)
http://thecityfix.com/category/colombia/bogota/
 

Absolutely fabulous video,  the perfect answer to every Indian city's needs -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRGoketbIZE

It is amazing to notice the discipline of the people in getting off and on at the designated places..not crossing over the roads, the discipline of the bus drivers in stopping at the assigned spots and not overtaking randomly, amazing general cleanliness. Wow, just amazing.

Again, I really cannot contain my joy on seeing this..have to share it..I am really impressed with the discipline of the bus drivers as well as the crowd coming out with from the station -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_etB3qQofTc

Amazing thought and execution seems to have gone into building the infrastructure, what better way than this (a roundabout exclusively for buses on the dedicated BRT system) for buses to interchange to other routes or turn around ..back on their return journey thus keeping them circulating in the BRT system thus sequeezing out maximum efficiency -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lelkwLtypCA&NR=1 .  This avoids the need for costly, complex flyover/clover leaf interchanges that are an eyesore as well.

A view from inside the bus, shows how easy it is to follow the rules rather than break them, by rules I am referring to the bus driver stopping in at the correct place and just sticking to the lane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkAtL6nzYwI&feature=related

When it (bus drivers and passengers acting with discipline to make a wonderful infrastructure work to their advantage) can be done in Bogota, Paris, Shanghai, London, Seattle, Brazil, Australia..why can't it be done in Bangalore/Chennai?  What makes us not want to stick to rules, not build good infrastructure and make a mess out of everything causing it to fail be it volvo service or vayu vajra or the recently introduced HOHO service?

Must watch videos (2 part series) -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZl1N6bTp_M

   and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LEtf32Bu3Y&NR=1

 My vote would be to bring in the colombians to sort out our public infrastructure mess. But going by what happened in the case of BIAL's Albert Brunner where the politicians went after his throat, labelled him a "foreigner" and incapable, and did everything possible to get HAL reopened..I am not very optimistic about the end results. I have read that New York is in fact seeking Bogota's expertise, I am more optimistic that things will turn out better in New York than in Bangalore. 

An excellent video on how Seoul revamped it's public transport system, special mention is made of how IT was leveraged, sadly, in the so called IT capital of India which is Bangalore, there is neither information nor technology

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr4VDX1VVyI&feature=related

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Enrique Peñalosa is the mayor of bogota who put their BRT in place in the 80s i think. it takes just one innovative leader with a will to make a differnece. and what a difference, if the youtube film was anything to go by!

anyway, let praja fill that gap...why dont we start putting a plan in place?

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Yes. Most of the suggestions are implementable, replicable and sustainable but whenever we try to take a step forward, we are pushed two steps backwards due to public apathy and non-cooperation.  What is one man's food is another man's poison. That is the attitude of our people.

We must make a beginning somewhere without being pessimistic. I am not a lover of city buses either, because majority of them are dirty and badly maintained, particularly the black/red board buses catering to the aam aadmis.

We can take these suggestions further and make them workable albeit in small Praja groups.

Count me in...I have already started walking for my daily needs shopping. 

We can also think of 'vehicle free zones' in busy roads during particular timings.

- Vasanthkumar Mysoremath

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A large part of the reluctance to walk or cycle or take a bus is cultural, an issue of 'prestige'. Those of us who are convinced about the need for 'sustainable transport' must use such transport, and must be seen to be using it. We must in fact shout from the rooftops that we are doing so. The cultural barriers break down if 'people like us' are seen to be using these modes of transport.

I have been using either buses or my bicycle to move around in Bangalore (including commuting to work) for close to a decade now, and have managed to convert quite a few people along the way, by shamelessly marketing myself.

An example: http://blog.bumsonthesaddle.com/2009/3/18/botw-dasarathi

Also by spreading messages through presentations like this. http://www.slideshare.net/das_gv/traffic-solution

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We need BMTC Sarathis to monitor the buses at main bus stops like Corporation Circle, Richmond Circle, Town Hall since lots of people change buses over here.

We have to take up this with BMTC.

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And, perhaps Lord Krishna himself to monitor the saarathi's!

Muralidhar Rao

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das, i have heard about you.

its fantastic that you lead by example.and am sure there are many like you.

i looked at your presentation and let me be honest, i for one will not be able to take the traffic pollution and indiscipline,  a stoicly as you do. so there have to be solutions that include everyone.

so, how do we intergrate the many micro efforts already happening, to make a difference at the macro level?

.

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Jenny,

For all the issues that you have stated, we need a land transport regulator. In the current setup different entities control different aspects of transportation - BBMP, BDA, BMTC, BTP and shortly Namma Metro.

What we need is a centralized authority which controls/regulates/plans everything related to transport - public transport, roads, predestrian crossings, footpaths, dedicated bus bays, cycling lanes, metro, etc etc.

Try talking to these organizations regarding the issue that you have state they will just juggle the responsibility to other organizations. If you talk of BRT with BMTC, they will point the figure at BTP, BTP will then point at BBMP/BDA (complaining about lack of infrastructure).. they might then point at the government.

If BMLTA is in place - that will be the sole authority deciding on all these issues. We need public pressure to establish BMLTA - though a namesake setup is in place, the BMLTA act is yet to be formulated and passed in the assembly.

Rithesh

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Sustainable transport faces 2 hurdles - a chicken and egg situation, and the users lack a loud voice.

Not enough cyclists on the road, therefore the government feels that there is no need to have cycling infrastructure. Not enough cycling infrastructure, therefore not enough cyclsists. Same thing with pedestrians.

With buses it is different. The people with the voice in the press and in government are the people who use private transport. The bus users (and cyclists and pedestrians) are economically weaker, hence lack a voice.

The people with the voice therefore need to start using CyBaNa (Cycling + Bus + Nadiyodu) if these are to be popularized. This is one of the key motives behind my using the cycle and bus.

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rithesh you are absolutely right.

however i wasnt thinking of the govt agencies at all when i made the suggestion.

i was speaking of the praja mambers.. i just felt that since we are clearly the citizens "with a  voice" who are  willing to use it constructively, then why not work out an intergrated and  sustainable transport plan within praja , break it up into projects and phases and then approch the various govt agencies . ideally, all govt agencies should be talking to each other in the making of a master plan, but this doesnt happen. but nothings stops praja from approaching it holistically.

getting private car owners to leave their cars at home is something i feel will benefit every single bangalorean, rich and poor, and the environment as well. so addressing the issue as "transport solutions" and not "buses" "footpaths" and "traffic" is the way to go.

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Rithesh,

Nice Video. I think such ideas were made possible in Colombia (& other S.American countries) because of the success of Transmilenio BRT in Bogota & a cultural shift with widespread use of bicycles & recognition for the need for better, cleaner & healthier living than moving around lazily in cars, as we do in India.

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Jenny,

Got your point - but i was suggesting that we need to fight this on multiple fronts.

Private vehicles have indeed become a status vehicle (sometimes more than requirment). I myself use the the public transport extensively and i am often asked the question, why i dont drive a 4 wheeler. It is a mindset problem - you are right we need to start a campaign to change this.

I stumbled on this video on Bogota - on every sunday and holidays they shut down more than 110 KM of road for vehicles - people are encouraged to come onto streets, use cycles, walk, job, skate and enjoy. I though this an ingenious way to promote interactions between people. Can we start a campaign to have similar things here. Just imagine the whole of MG Road/Brigade Road/Vidhana Souda/Cubbon Park/Richmond Road being closed for traffic every Sunday. We could have concerts/bands every weekend on MG road!!! Just watch this - i have completely fallen for this idea :)

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what a fabulous idea!!!

cant see why it should not work in bangalore. if we should start a campaign, this idea should go in.

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Thanks for all that blrpraja. Great info.

Enrique Penalosa was elected as the Mayor as recently as 1997 and the Transmilenio was started only in 1998 - look at how things have transformed in just over 10 years. Nothing is impossible. In 1997, they had a plan to build large number of flyovers/underpasses all over the city - costling a couple of billion dollars. Thanks to the determination and vision of Enrique, this plan was droped and instead BRT was implemented. And rest is history!!

We on the contrary are going back - we are building more and more flyovers - destroying trees and predestrian infrastructure.

With plans for direct Mayor elections can we hope for these changes? Untill then Praja needs to take this up. Jenny - lets not just leave it here - lets do something on the ground, take the lead!!

 As a first step can we try and make Cubbon park "vehicle free zone". It is supposed to be a park not a shortcut for vehicles. It should just be open only to cycles and public transport (believe it or not - buses are not supposed to enter Cubbon park, while cars have no such restrictions).

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Right people, like Rithesh says, let's do something on the ground.

Let's start by working on making Commercial St. a vehicle-free zone. Everybody wants it, it's not a thoroughfare to anywhere, and so very easy to implement. See the discussion started by Naveen here :
http://bangalore.praja.in/blog/naveen/2009/04/06/should-commercial-st-be-pedestrianized

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yes, lets get started!

i would prefer if we kept it democratic, without a leader for now.

lets also work out a broad plan first , articulate what it is we want to achieve,and then get into specifics? is that agreeable to all?

 lets brainstorm here for a while more. iam travelling till tuesday, and will be thinking while i am away...

jenny

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hi all

pl check out:

http://www.cities-for-mobility.net.    this could be a useful resource in the future. its an open source.

and look at this:

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=IISc+gets+centre+to+plan+cities%E2%80%99+growth&artid=geWiRYX|GIY=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=zkvyRoWGpmWSxZV2TGM5XQ==&SEO=

.however, what the artice says is:

"However, it seems the centre will be able to work only for six Tier II cities — Bellary, Gulbarga, Hubli, Mysore, Hassan, and Belgaum — as of now and Bangalore is not on the agenda.After the function, Prof T G Sitharam, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IISc, told Express: “We do not want to touch Bagalore right now. The city is in a mess and there is not much scope of development."

 so does that dampen our spirits or is it onwards and upwards????

jenny

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 so does that dampen our spirits or is it onwards and upwards????

...we dont give up! We just dont think the people who will fix it are up to the mark. We need a crack team. We will have to find our Enrique P or Lee K Y and fast.

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On the cycling side we could start by

1. Identifying streets in CBD which can take cycle tracks and mark them out (on a map first).

2. Ensure the cycle route includes bus stands/TTMC (Shivajinagar/ShantiNagar) and some car parking lots

3. Convince a couple of neighbourhood Cycle renters to rent bicycles from there. Take permission from BBMP/BMTC to let the renter operate for a trial period. If hosting in mall parking talk to mall operator. (it will be good if he can take car keys with parking tickets as deposit for car owners, or we can hook him up with a card reader teach him to put a hold on the card for deposit)

4. Publicise the service (Facebook/Twitter etc) and distribute the maps and ensure this concept sticks. Even if the online crowd sticks this can be extended to others the web cant reach.

5. Get BBMP and Police on board and have them mark cycle lanes on routes marked by us.

6. Extend CBD cycle network into residential hubs. (phase 2)

7. The Praja Cycle Network community accumulates carbon credits for each KM on each of the cycles. The tracking and measuring system is being conceptualised and will depend extensively on the success of the steps 1 to 6 happening.

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Here is what the automobile economy is doing to beat the GHG heat

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/30193134#30193134

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We had discussed about sustainable transport previously ( bangalore.praja.in/blog/raviranjankumar/2008/11/15/cycling-bangalore#comment-9399 ). In my opinion, only public transport & bicycles are sustainable.

The many problems with individual modes is well known. Pollution, infrastructure & fuel cannot be sustained for this pattern of development. America's obsession with the automobile continues, & if not for increasing fuel costs, they would have continued consuming & using more cars since they do not care about the environment.

The quotes below are again being reproduced from my previous post :

"When man invented the bicycle, he reached the peak of his attainments. Here was a machine of precision & balance for his convenience. And, unlike subsequent inventions for his convenience, the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here. for once,  was a product of man's brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, & of no harm or irritation to others. Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle"

   From "Hovel in the Hills" - Elizabeth West, Author.

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race"

   H G Wells, Novelist, 1866-1946.

"The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart"

    Iris Murdoch, Author & Philosopher, 1919-1999.

"Let's have a moment of silence for every American stuck in traffic on their way to a health club to ride a stationary bicycle"

    Representative Earl Blumenauer, US Congress, 1948

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Naveen,

Thanks for putting together the wonderful quotes in you comment. I enjoyed them especially having missed them earlier. However I wonder why you people are forgetting about horses and horse/Bullock driven carts. We have them right here in Bangalore Mysore. Perhaps they are not considered to be civilized any more.

Working from home, Video conferencing etc should be taken up more seriously perhaps? According to Vivek Menon whose talk I attended at CISTUP the best Virtual office facilities are available right here in Bangalore

PSA

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The Netherlands is well known for its excellent cycling infrastructure. How did the Dutch get this network of bicycle paths? Check this out.

Isn't that, combined with this the way forward for our cities too? Rather, do we have a choice?

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@ Murali sir,

A strong Conceptual design with signal free modular road network design concept for a vernacular land development with active segregation of Pedestrian and non motor transport like cycling and hawking carts is available.

A network consisting of major and minor arterial roads are dealt with in the proposed concept here.

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