| Bengaluru, once reputed to be The Garden City | | | | to anyone's life as you are most likely to guess, |
| of India can today be more appropriately | | | | nor did something unexpected happen. The driver |
| described as ONE WAY CITY. The problem of | | | | was merely doing his duty that of stopping the |
| vehicle population that is growing unabated by the | | | | bus at its designated stop. But when he does that |
| day on the one hand and the one-way traffic | | | | he chooses to position the vehicle as close to the |
| rules on the other have resulted in traffic flowing | | | | divider to his right rather than- as one would |
| into streets- small, smaller and even those | | | | expect- as close to the foot-path to his left that |
| make-do ones that were once known as | | | | is if he were to have any concern at all for the |
| conservancy lanes. | | | | waiting passengers at the bus-stop. The entire |
| If you happen to approach Srirampuram | | | | traffic behind is in a state of frenzy besides |
| over-bridge via Harishchandra Ghat or vice versa | | | | individually feeling cheated to have been brought |
| you might be forced to move at snails-pace | | | | into a position of zero-motion thus. Now this is the |
| behind a small procession preceded by a hearse. | | | | opportunity two-wheelers look for in order to |
| Left half of the road thus occupied you're left | | | | overtake the bus and in a situation like this smaller |
| with no option other than to cross over to the | | | | the vehicle brighter the chances of accomplishing |
| right crossing the yellow line; surely nobody not | | | | it. But then we have forgotten the fact the bus |
| even the law can expect you to follow the | | | | had stopped at the scheduled bus stop. Right? |
| procession until it reaches the cremation grounds. | | | | What should the passengers waiting for it do |
| And even as you do that you may be surprised | | | | now? While the weaker and older passengers |
| by crackers being burst! | | | | struggle to reach the bus obviously at disparate |
| You are in a hurry and suddenly find that the road | | | | speeds two-wheelers from behind the bus are |
| ahead is blocked completely left to right on | | | | looking for gaps to snake their way ahead and |
| account of some private function. 'Who gives | | | | the resulting chaos is to been to be believed. |
| them the permission anyway? Has anybody the | | | | According to a senior police official attached to |
| right to give permission thus? This is supposed to | | | | Basaveshwarnagar Police Station Maintenance is |
| be a Metropolitan City is it not?' you wonder. | | | | virtually unknown to BMTC buses. Until and unless |
| Repair work/s undertaken by BBMP invariably | | | | a bus breaks down it keeps running. Those are |
| cause problems of their own. Pot holes are never | | | | the orders. Not infrequently it is oil leaks from |
| attended to unless a minimum of 2 or 3 mishaps | | | | BMTC bus-engines that are reported to have |
| are reported. Of course a spot death might | | | | caused series of avoidable accidents on busy |
| always help- one sure way of prioritizing it! And all | | | | roads. Even so no follow-up action is taken by |
| of a sudden you find repair-works taking place | | | | BMTC-authorities it is learnt. Is this not a serious |
| simultaneously on virtually every Road and Small | | | | matter? Unless heads roll, perhaps, things will |
| Street in the area. | | | | never improve. In comparison tourist buses are |
| Meanwhile gigantic multi-storey apartment | | | | much better, it is learnt. After each long trip say |
| projects of Mantri, Brigade, Prestige and what | | | | 1500/2000 Kms and back those buses undergo |
| have you, have suddenly appeared like monsters | | | | regular servicing. But not BMTC buses where |
| which shall soon be occupied by thousands upon | | | | maintenance is conspicuous by its absence! |
| thousands of the rich and mighty residents each | | | | Suggestions: |
| with a promise of minimum 2 four-wheelers and 1 | | | | 1. Roads ought not be allowed to be monopolized |
| 2 2-wheelers for emergency that would add to | | | | by anybody for any reason whatsoever. |
| the existing traffic problems in the area. | | | | 2. Bus Stops on busy roads ought not to be there |
| Suddenly you find a 2 or 3 feet wide divider has | | | | at all. Well if that is inevitable then bus drivers |
| appeared in the middle of the road thereby | | | | should be strictly instructed to stop the vehicle as |
| further narrowing down space available for free | | | | close to the foot-path as possible and not |
| flow of traffic. This in the considered opinion of | | | | vice-versa. This should be followed up by taking |
| the Traffic Police is a MUST. | | | | suitable steps for enforcing the same otherwise |
| The BMTC bus might be moving at full speed and | | | | everything will go waste. Punishment meted out |
| you might be positioned right behind it. Without | | | | to individual drivers for flouting the rule should be |
| giving any hint whatsoever the driver might all on | | | | of deterrent nature. |
| a sudden jam the brakes. No! There was no risk | | | | 3. |