The BBMP is on a drive. Eight roads in Bangalore with a perennial problem of congested traffic have been marked to get a widening. Tenders have been floated and BBMP is set to initiate work very shortly.
These roads which were found to be turbulent to traverse are set to become wider.
1. Tannery Road,
2. SE Bangalore
3. Varthur Road
4. Gunjur Road
5. Slaughter House to Nagawara Ring Road
6. Bannerghatta Main Road
7. Sarjapur Main Road,
8. Bellary Road
Road widening has always inspired a variety of responses from Bangaloreans. While most welcome it, some owners of apartments in Bangalore and independent houses seem to despise, they have good reasons to contempt:
1. They feel it is an “ad hoc” solution – Eventually the volume of traffic will catch up, they say.
2. Many owners whose properties were encroached for Road Widening in the past have sorry tales to tell.
3. Cutting down of trees and the tedious process of widening which makes the rides even more irksome.
It is to be noted that 216 roads were marked for widening in 2010, the project however dind’t take off due to various roadblocks like land acquisition and indifference from bidders.
However the BBMP has categorically stated that this time around, the process of widening these roads shall be a much smoother and fairer affair.
So how does the BBMP go about with the road widening this time around?
BBMP hopes to convince the property owners with an attractive compensation plan. The previous Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) which seemed less fancy to the property losers has been revamped with fresh guidelines in the hope of making the processes more hassle free and beneficial for the public as well as the property losers.
It is interesting to find Bellary Road in the mix of things here. The city at large has had a divided opinion whether this road needs to be widened given the massive green cover and the hassle of ‘work in progress’ that would be at stake for all concerned while the widening promises to make it a seamless drive to Kempegowda International Airport.
One could point out the traffic issue in Bangalore and compare it with say, New York or Dubai, but the fact remains that all Indian cities have a largely exceeded population with relatively lesser land availability. Road widening in these roads however should make reaching times a little more quicker and the experience of commuting in Bangalore, a less hassled experience.
