IITian Confessions

I have a question, we have been talking of Bengaluru BBMP elections for so long, and now it's finally coming. Asking those who have seen/worked with past corporations, how to make best use of upcoming city govt? What non-negotiables to ask for when candidates visit us for votes?

Greater Bengaluru Authority polls: SEC’s retreat is worrying deccanherald.com/opinion/editor…

@Kuma50531Kumar This is happening not because state govt has found new found love for pedestrians and public transport, but cos' an orthopedic surgeon fought in supreme court for 13 yrs and got court to mandate all states to amend act.

Karnataka: Walkers, cyclists at centre of road planning in new Motor Vehicle rules deccanherald.com/india/karnatak…

The quickest way to enhance public transport in Kolkata is to modernise trams, they are fast and quick if they have ROW and are not blocked by cars. The aged vehicles does not make it appealing for wider audience. @SuvenduWB must modernise Kolkata tramways. Below are tramways from Lisbon, Seville and Barcelona

Indeed the joke is on us. @RahulGandhi - Karnataka gave Congress a majority with the expectation of good governance. Bengaluru civic elections delay mockingly asks us: What can you do? We will answer this in the elections. Ballot paper or EVMs won't make a difference too.

Suddenly, everyone is realising the importance of public transport :) Some of us have been shouting this from the top of our voices for years, often being dismissed or called names for questioning car-centric planning. But every crisis reminds us of one thing: car-based infrastructure alone cannot help cities tide over disruptions. This is a golden opportunity for corporations and city leaders, if they are serious about sustainable mobility, to invest in reliable first- and last-mile connectivity and make the public transport experience convenient, safe, and comfortable for everyone...

@nagarjund When the govt told SC that they'll do elections post exams in May-June, they knew exactly that census and SIR work is incoming. Instead of planning their manpower through it, they are again delaying elections, as not having municipal corporation is better for state govt.

Karnataka State Election Commission moves Supreme Court seeking extension till September 30 to hold GBA polls, citing National Census and Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. BBMP has remained without an elected council since September 2020.

Bengaluru should oppose the Karnataka Government’s obsession with double-decker flyovers which will harm the city beyond repair. We have already seen this in Jayanagar. Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar must immediately drop this reckless idea. A flyover should solve congestion, not simply shift it 500 metres ahead. Bengaluru has already seen this mistake. Take the Ragigudda flyover. Instead of solving traffic, it has merely pushed the bottleneck elsewhere and created new pressure points around Jayanagar, especially near the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt junction. A beautiful, walkable, well-planned neighbourhood like Jayanagar has been slowly spoiled by contractor-driven infrastructure decisions instead of citizen-centric urban planning. We have repeatedly asked authorities to find a scientific fix around the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt junction, but I fear many of these proposals are only band-aids over a deeper planning failure. And now, instead of learning from these mistakes, the State Government wants to repeat them across the city with more double-decker corridors along new Metro lines. This defeats the very purpose of mass public transport. Metro is supposed to reduce private vehicle dependence, not incentivise more cars by building more flyovers underneath it. If you keep making cities easier for cars, people will keep buying more cars. That is not mobility reform, that is policy confusion. We have made our opposition clear. The proposed Vega City Mall double-decker corridor will be strongly opposed. I have personally organised multiple citizen consultations with Metro officials and the erstwhile BBMP authorities where residents have clearly and consistently rejected this approach. What is even more frustrating is that Metro Phase 3 implementation is getting delayed because of this unnecessary insistence, despite Central Government approval already being in place. Bengaluru does not need more cosmetic flyovers. It needs better buses, faster Metro execution, seamless last-mile connectivity, walkable streets, and governance that respects urban planning over ribbon-cutting politics. Please drop this double-decker madness before we permanently damage the city.

@FI_InvestIndia What stops the Government from implementing this Simple Solution? -> Can't make enough black money from PT projects. Flyovers/roads >>> Metro/Buses/Suburban Rail

I am just trying to imagine an India where everyone only uses Public Transport to Go to Work & Come Home. Metro. Buses. Maybe Autos running on Meter. Only use Personal Cars for Emergencies, Long Drives & Vacations. Pollution will Reduce. Traffic will Ease. What stops the Government from implementing this Simple Solution? #FI

Met the @NammaBNP candidate for my ward - RBI Layout - recently. Former IIM Research Assistant, professional career in adoption and foster care services, special educator and active member of residents' committee. We should get more candidates like Sharada Narayana. 50% reservation for women in local bodies hasn't had a great track record, but it's improving as more and more self-made women step up to public life.

Excellent articulation of the attention that India's cities need to fix their governance to make them self-sustainable by Mr. Tejasvi Surya. Reforms can only be expected if more elected leaders begin to think and act on similar lines.

And the joke is on us dear Bengaluru. Staff shortage? Why can't the Government hire temp staff? Come September, they will cite the energy crisis, monsoon rains or whatever comes to their mind to postpone the civic elections again.

@solidview @anil_lulla @bengawalk @rajdugar @Amara_Bengaluru @shilgiri_rao @maddyvoldy @ChristinMP_ @Kuma50531Kumar @Maheshbr4U @Pruthvinreddy @WFRising @shashibk @srinualavilli @naveenmzs When State Govt told court in Jan that elections will be held post May school exams, they knew SIR and census work is going to happen, still didn't plan for it, now pleading to SC for extension. Public being taken for granted. x.com/naveenmzs/stat…

@solidview @anil_lulla @bengawalk @rajdugar @Amara_Bengaluru @shilgiri_rao @maddyvoldy @ChristinMP_ @Kuma50531Kumar @Maheshbr4U @Pruthvinreddy @WFRising @shashibk @srinualavilli @naveenmzs Finally! 5+ years of wait about to end. Elections finally happening for BBMP/GBA/Bengaluru Municipal corporations! x.com/naveenmzs/stat…

I have a question, we have been talking of Bengaluru BBMP elections for so long, and now it's finally coming. Asking those who have seen/worked with past corporations, how to make best use of upcoming city govt? What non-negotiables to ask for when candidates visit us for votes?

Bengaluru_Suburban_Transport_Project :MOU with ICF for Procurement of 153 Metro Coaches Work Order Worth Rs.1,513.75 Crore issued. #Bengaluru_Suburban_Rail_Project #BSRP @RailMinlndia @AshwiniVaishnaw @VSOMANNABJP @MBPatil @EIB @KfW_FZ_int @chiefsecy_gok @SWRRLY @RVNL @PJB @NCC @Ltditd @TheMetroRailGuy @RailAnalysis @MetroRailNewsHQ @Railwhispers @MetroRailToday_ @bengalurutrains

That's it! Bengaluru will do well in heeding his advice: Move people, not cars i.e. Invest in Public Transport, not car-centric infrastructure.

A war in West Asia reminded us to use fuel wisely. The answer is simple: make public transport accessible. Bengaluru's Mobility Plan called for 16,582 buses years ago. We have barely 7,000. Instead of fixing that, crores are going into flyovers that fill up with more cars within months. Invest in public transport, add more busses, fix last mile connectivity, complete the metro on time, add feeder buses, plan roads scientifically. @DKShivakumar @GBAChiefComm @GBA_office @BMTC_BENGALURU @OfficialBMRCL indianexpress.com/article/india/…

How can we shift to public transport in Bengaluru, if state govt has effectively stopped any public transport expansion: 1. No BMLTA formation yet 2. Unscientific tunnel road prioritised 3. Suburban Rail crawling 4. Metro fare hiked 5. Shared cabs banned 6. Footpaths?

The govt should lead by example . For next 12 months - all bureaucrats should stop using Lal batti and use Metro for work travels. Also pool govt cars .. all bureaucrats in one dept can pool the car…

I had grand plans of starting a public campaign for “tree lined footpaths” in #bengaluru Then I downgraded to “roadside public dustbin” provision campaign Today I’ve further downgraded to “please collect our household waste” campaign The sad state of centuries old heritage town #basavanagudi in #startup capital #bengaluru @BBMPSWMSplComm @NammaKasa @SaveBasavangudi @GBA_office

What we need in India’s cities.

@VishweshwarBhat @narendramodi 369 wards!

Dear PM @narendramodi, please consider doing a 'City Darshan' of all 198 wards in Bengaluru. Our roads only seem to find their 'Ache Din' when you are visiting! #NammaBengaluru #ModiInBangalore