Commute

It's good to see the excellent road name signposts that have come up in J P Nagar 3rd Phase. Even more impressive to see the names of the Corporators and their contact numbers on the signs. This is a very welcome initiative!

One of the small, but intensely annoying practices that I am increasingly finding is that of security guards in front of large office/commercial buildings, obviously acting on instructions, to "reserve" the parking space in front of the buildings for those who are visiting an office in that building, and to prevent others from parking there.   In fact, Corporation Bank in J P Nagar  3rd Phase (1st Main, along the Mini Forest) also went to the extent of putting up cardboard notices on the chain-link fence saying that the space was for their customers. Saner counsels have prevailed and the notices…

One of the small, but intensely annoying practices that I am increasingly finding is that of security guards in front of large office/commercial buildings, obviously acting on instructions, to "reserve" the parking space in front of the buildings for those who are visiting an office in that building, and to prevent others from parking there.   In fact, Corporation Bank in J P Nagar  3rd Phase (1st Main, along the Mini Forest) also went to the extent of putting up cardboard notices on the chain-link fence saying that the space was for their customers. Saner counsels have prevailed and the notices…

  Though it is illegal to have licence number plates only in Kannada (or any regional language), people routinely flout this rule, and cite their love for Kannada as a reason to have number plates in Kannada alone. It would be more credible if they had number plates in both Kannada and English; with only Kannada numerals, the doubt arises that it is being done to prevent anyone taking down the number in case of an accident!

  Though it is illegal to have licence number plates only in Kannada (or any regional language), people routinely flout this rule, and cite their love for Kannada as a reason to have number plates in Kannada alone. It would be more credible if they had number plates in both Kannada and English; with only Kannada numerals, the doubt arises that it is being done to prevent anyone taking down the number in case of an accident!

Some autos charge extra for each ride, while there are a few of them who go by the meter. Pic: Christopher Martin Lopaze Their rounded, carapace-like forms, yellow hoods, and green or black bodies are familiar to anyone living in Bengaluru, as the road is usually congested with them. Yes, we are talking about autos in Bengaluru. Would it surprise you to learn there are more than 1,30,000 legally registered autorickshaws in Bangalore? Those figures, of course, do not account for the autorickshaws that operate illegally without a license. Most put the “rick” into “rickety.” They also happen to be…

Some autos charge extra for each ride, while there are a few of them who go by the meter. Pic: Christopher Martin Lopaze Their rounded, carapace-like forms, yellow hoods, and green or black bodies are familiar to anyone living in Bengaluru, as the road is usually congested with them. Yes, we are talking about autos in Bengaluru. Would it surprise you to learn there are more than 1,30,000 legally registered autorickshaws in Bangalore? Those figures, of course, do not account for the autorickshaws that operate illegally without a license. Most put the “rick” into “rickety.” They also happen to be…

Let me not write a sentence more than this one, over the daily traffic jam at Kundalahalli Gate, near Whitefiel - Bengaluru: If you are reading this, you know it’s bad.    The good news is that the BBMP is about to launch an ambitious project to not just construct an underpass at Kundalahalli Gate, but also to make signal-free the entire road between Vallara Junction and Hope Farm.    Aha, great — you say. But what about the situation during construction? How do we get in and out of Whitefield when there’ll be a massive pit in the ground…

Let me not write a sentence more than this one, over the daily traffic jam at Kundalahalli Gate, near Whitefiel - Bengaluru: If you are reading this, you know it’s bad.    The good news is that the BBMP is about to launch an ambitious project to not just construct an underpass at Kundalahalli Gate, but also to make signal-free the entire road between Vallara Junction and Hope Farm.    Aha, great — you say. But what about the situation during construction? How do we get in and out of Whitefield when there’ll be a massive pit in the ground…

Having to commute by bus from Malleshwaram to Citizen Matters office - on Sarjapur Road, Bengaluru, has been a true eye-opener to me. The major learning has been this: Own a vehicle, and learn to drive, even if you would be adding to the mess already on the road, against your consciousness. Sarjapur Road is an "upscale," developing area where you see a lot of tech companies and residential apartments coming up. However, if you love to take on the challenge of walking on the road amidst vehicles, yet manage to be alive, the stretch on Sarjapur main road, from…