Cart before horse

It’s a classic case of putting cart before the horse and getting away with it. The Jayanagar Traffic and Transit Management Centre – a fancy name for a new bus stand located in a multi-storey building – was inaugurated in August 2009. The cost was around Rs.12 crores. It was a classic sarkari ceremony with the chief minister cutting the ribbon, transport minister attending, and the works. The media was happy to report it too.

The centre has space for offices in the second and third floors and a swanky terrace parking lot for the public on the fourth level. They forgot one thing – no elevator. Yet, the contract for the terrace parking lot was given in late 2009. See the brief report on page 5, as well a more detailed story online.

What’s worse is this: when Citizen Matters asked a BMTC official why the elevator was not in place at the beginning, he says they could only do things ‘one by one’!

Our officials do not get even the basic order of simple infrastructure like a bus stand and car parking right. Yet with much ado and advertising they run a Global Investors Meet and attract tens of thousands of crores or rupees into the state!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Traffic and mobility in Bengaluru: Plans, reality and what your MP said

PC Mohan has backed the Bengaluru suburban rail network; Tejasvi Surya has also urged for investment in mass rapid transport systems.

Traffic congestion and and mobility are among Bengaluru's topmost concerns today. In the run up to the elections, as the spotlight turns on how the city's sitting MPs have performed over the last five years, their actions and stance on this issue certainly deserves some scrutiny. How have they engaged with the issue? Did they propose any solutions? The major traffic & mobility issues In 2019, Bengaluru recorded the second highest number of vehicle, with over 80 lakh. Nearly 84% of households have motor vehicles. Lack of first and last mile connectivity, reduced bus ridership, under-completion of metro connectivity across…

Similar Story

Pedals of change: Chennai’s shift to a sustainable mobility future

Prioritising bicycles over cars and promoting the use of public transport can increase Chennai's sustainability quotient.

The transformation of Chennai, from a trading post entrenched in the bylanes of Fort St. George, to a bustling metropolis with gleaming skyscrapers along the historic Mahabalipuram road underscores its economic progress and growth. The visionaries of the city exhibited exemplary foresight in establishing an extensive road network and suburban train systems that set a precedent for the future. The city’s continued investment in the Metro Rail, connecting important nodes of the city, is encouraging use of public transport. As per the Ease of Moving Index — Chennai City Profile report, Chennai leads the way with the highest mass transit…