10 Point Solution for Bangalore Traffic and Infrastructure.

10 Point Solution for Bangalore Traffic and Infrastructure.

These are just my thoughts on the Bangalore's growing infrastructure problem. These are probably the common problems which every city is facing. In my opinion, its not just making them mandatory but also how do give incentives to the people so that they are equally motivated in implementing them and thus getting benifitted by them. If there is only punishment but no rewards will not be in the benefit of either of the parties. What I am looking is for a win-win situation for both the parties.

1. Install traffic timer clocks at every signal. When people know in advance how much time, they need to wait in the signal they can decide whether to switch off their engines or not. At traffic signals where there is no such display people always keep the engine on hoping that the signal might turn green enytime. This results in more fuel consumption and pollution. Result: Less Pollution. Indirect Incentive: Better fuel efficiency.


2. Volunteers empowered to collect fine from traffic offenders. Why can't a group of volunteers be empowered to collect the fine from traffic offenders on a weekend. Even if they are not empowered to collect fines, they should be empowered enough to issue them notices and let the offenders pay up the fine by going to police station. The system of issuing notices to your homes is already in place where one jumps a traffic signal, then details like his vehicle number, time of offence and type of offence are being sent to the person. Revenue collected by this mode with the help of volunteers, can be used to buy traffic timer clocks as suggested in point 1. Result: More revenue to the government. Incentive: Better managed traffic.


3. Private Layouts to have wider roads: At present when a private layout is developed, the developers claims that his layout have 30 feet wider roads. Are these 30 feet wide road sufficient to cater to evergrowing traffic ? They must be forced to have wider roads so that later a connectivity through these layouts does not become a bottleneck. Result: Better Roads Connective. Incentive: Government can give incentives to such layouts in the form of lower registration charges / property tax for a certain period.


4. New Constructions and Construction on existing buildings to have mandatory rain water harvesting. Government has to make it mandatory for all new constructions to have rain water harvesting in place. This would ensure that ground water depletion does not happen. I am not proposing to have this system in the existing houses also as it was being done in Chennai, but what I am saying is that this should be done for new constructions and on existing buildings where a new floor is getting added. Result: Better managed water resource. Incentive: Government can give incentives to such constructions in the form of lower registration charges / property tax for a certain period.


5. Energy Saving Devices for Flats: The developers today are charging exhorbitant rates for constructions but hardly I see any initative from them in order to install any energy saving devices. Though they may be costly but they would turn out to be a cheap option in the future. It should be made mandatory for such developers to install Solar Energy Devices atleast for lightening up the common area and for geysers. Rain water harvesting should be mandatory for them. Result: Growing need for electricity can be better managed. Incentive: Savings for Users !


6. Malls to come up only on Wider Roads: At present the malls seems to come up at each and every corner of any streets. They are the main source of chaos if they are built on congested roadsides. Government has to ensure that such malls can come up only where the raods are wide and it should not have adequate parking. Result: Better traffic management.


7. Greener Layouts: The private layouts absolutely never has any plans for any parks or for providing greenery. It should be made mandatory to allocate some space for this which would ensure greenery is not totally replaced by concrete jungle. Let both exist in harmony. This has to be mandatory for flat developers. Result: Greener and less pollution envrionment. Incentive: Government can give incentives to such layouts in the form of lower registration charges / property tax for a certain period.


8. Ban Plastic Bags: Ban the usage of plastic bags in malls and shopping complexes. They are main source for distributing plastics and in food retail where when buying 10 different vegetables, today one uses 10 different plastic bags just to segregate them and two additional bags he requires to carry them further. One theory could be to charge for these plastic bags if its usage can be curbed but I am not advocating for this. How about giving incentives to the people who carry their own bags. In my opinion the latter option would bring out a more positive response from the public where saving has become even more difficult in the present high inflation situation. Result: Better soil management. Incentive: Government can give incentives to such malls / shopping in the form of tax waiver for some period of time.


9. Ban Plastic Flags / Election Hoardings , B'Day Wishes/ Election Symbols in plastic by political parties: The use of plastics by political parties for whatever reasons like birth day wishes, congratulations, welcoming somebody's arrival should be the banned. Fine them rigorously. There are better ways of doing. Result: Saves Earth !


10. Fuel Efficient Vehicles: Government should levy more taxes on fuel guzzler vehicles. When the sales of such vehicles come down, this would directly force the vehicle manufactures to look at producing more fuel efficient vehicles rather than just concentrating on changing the looks and UI design. At the same time, government should give tax subsidy to such vehicle manufactures who promote cleaner and greener vehicles. Result: Less Pollution. Incentive: User gets a fuel efficient vehicle.