Pramesh S Jain
*Minister says building more roads will not solve congestion; public discipline and stricter parking regulation needed.
*”We build roads, yet people still blame the government”.
Around 60 per cent of Bengaluru’s road space is being occupied by parked vehicles,leaving less room for moving traffic and worsening congestion,Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Monday.
Calling for urgent action,the Minister said the government should consider appointing a dedicated agency to regulate and enforce parking rules,as the existing civic and police workforce is inadequate for the task.
“Unless people develop a sense of self-discipline, it will be impossible to find a solution to Bengaluru’s traffic problem,”Mr.Byre Gowda said at a meeting with former Mayors at Vidhana Soudha.
He said building more roads alone would not resolve the city’s traffic crisis.Vehicles are routinely parked on both sides of even narrow roads, restricting traffic movement and reducing the effective capacity of existing roads.
“Whatever government comes to power, we build roads and yet continue to face public criticism.
This cannot be solved simply by building more roads,” he said, stressing that better use of existing road space and disciplined parking were essential.
The Minister said systematic parking regulation could significantly reduce the daily inconvenience faced by commuters.
He also called for greater use of micro-mobility for journeys of up to two kilometres, but said this would require usable footpaths and effective parking controls.
“We are already working to clear and restore footpaths. But micro-mobility cannot succeed without parking regulation,” he said.
Dedicated agency proposed to enforce parking rules:
Mr. Byre Gowda said enforcing parking discipline through the civic administration and police would require additional manpower.
Since the existing workforce is insufficient, he proposed appointing a dedicated agency to implement and enforce parking regulations across the city.
Minister warns against continued civic violations:
The Minister also raised concerns over widespread violations of building and civic regulations.
He said Bengaluru had seen a growing disregard for basic rules, including unauthorised changes to sewer lines and inadequate parking provision in residential buildings.
“People change sewer lines without following the rules and do not leave adequate space for parking in their own homes. Yet we continue to tolerate such behaviour. How long can this go on?” he asked.
He said stricter enforcement of laws and regulations was unavoidable if Bengaluru was to address its chronic civic problems.
Mandatory GPS tracking for C&D waste vehicles:
On solid waste management, Mr. Byre Gowda said the government had made it mandatory for all vehicles transporting construction and demolition (C&D) waste to be registered and fitted with GPS.
He said C&D waste must be deposited only at designated facilities and that five locations had been identified for the purpose,with compliance being enforced.
Former Mayors offer suggestions:
The former Mayors also offered a range of suggestions for improving Bengaluru’s civic infrastructure and day-to-day administration.Key recommendations included:
*Development and improvement of cremation and burial grounds across the city.
*Scientific and durable methods for repairing potholes, rather than temporary fixes.
*More effective measures to address the city’s garbage and waste-management problems.
*Expediting the ongoing ₹2,000-crore development of major storm-water drains.
*Giving greater priority to buffer roads/traffic-bearing roads that can help reduce congestion.
*Ensuring proper maintenance of public toilets.
*Repairing non-functional streetlights on a priority basis.
*Establishing a dedicated asphalt plant for the civic body,reducing dependence on private contractors for road asphalting.
*Ensuring proper maintenance of flyovers.
*Taking strict action against those dumping waste along roads and preventing roadside dumping.
*Inspecting the condition of bearings in older flyovers and taking corrective action where required.
*Working towards a complete ban on single-use plastic.
*Organising monthly e-Khata camps,which could also help the civic body improve property-tax collections.
*Ensuring that the BWSSB properly maintains sewage treatment plants,with greater attention to their functioning.
*Preventing unauthorised cutting of roads through better coordination among government departments.
*Giving sustained attention to everyday civic issues such as pothole repairs, streetlight maintenance,garbage management and park maintenance.
*Ensuring proper implementation of individual-house schemes under welfare programmes.
*Improving the system for pruning and removal of tree branches.
*Replacing and upgrading play equipment in parks.
The meeting was attended by GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao M,former Mayors J.Huchappa,M. Ramachandrappa,Mumtaz Begum, K.Chandrashekar, S.K.Nataraj,D.Venkatesh Murthy, B.S.Satyanarayana, Shanthakumari,Manjunath Reddy,G.Padmavathi, R. Sampath Raj and Gangambike,along with ruling party leaders Satyanarayana,Shivaraj,Abdul Wajid and B.T. Srinivasa Murthy,among other officials.
