The Problem with Bangalore’s Infrastructure and Solutions

The beautiful city of Bangalore ranks 58 in the Ease of Living Index released by the Government of India. This index presents a contrasting picture of the city and that is exactly the reason why many Bangaloreans share a love-hate relationship with it. There’s so much to admire and so much to complain about at the same time. We’ve discussed the traffic, water, and pollution problems, here we’re going to discuss Bangalore’s infrastructure issues.

How can a city so big and rich fall behind in comparison of infrastructure with other global cities so drastically? Does it have to do with the population? What about Beijing with a population of 18.6 million? Does it have to do with the Government solely? Does it also have to do with the attitude and mindset of the citizens? Let’s break the problems of Bangalore’s infrastructure down one at a time:

1) Bad roads and unimpressive public transportation systems:

Getting from points A to B is quite an ordeal for someone who’s not used to the city of Bangalore. On the top of the list of Bangalore’s infrastructure shortcomings are the roads which are almost periodically dug open and covered again. The excuses go from anything about the reinstallation of pipes to the white topping of roads. Potholes go unfixed until it’s brought to notice by citizens and the government chooses to acknowledge their duty of fixing them for once. Already the traffic problem is insane, it only gets worse when road construction work is going on. Half the road often gets blocked, and maybe equally often, the entire road. There are so many potholes on the road that recently a video was making rounds online showing the similarity of Bangalore roads and the surface of Mars. Then it comes to the transportation systems to get through the traffic.

Bangalore’s metro (Namma Metro) that runs at speed at 85km/hr is often regarded to be Bangalore’s fastest and most convenient way to commute and it’s very true. However, there are shortcomings. The metro should be routed to areas that really require the relief or utility of the system in the first place. Profit for any individuals should be secondary to the social use of the system and its utility. The incredibly long time of construction adds to the inconvenience and furthers the traffic woes.

BMTC buses are convenient as they virtually cover almost all parts of the city. However, they’re most often totally crowded making it very inconvenient for commuters to have a peaceful ride between stations. Auto Rickshaws come in handy as long as the drivers don’t make their own rules and fares. You might think owning a private vehicle is the solution and a step forward towards progress, but it’s not. You’re adding to the problem. Also, although you think it’s convenient, this next point discusses a major way it isn’t.

2) No parking anywhere

Finding parking in Bangalore is quite the roll of dice. There are establishments, offices, malls, restaurants, etc that provide parking inside their infrastructure, but otherwise, you’re supposed to park on the roads, if you can find space that is. As of 2017, the number of vehicles registered in Bengaluru has climbed to 70.28 lakh, out of which 48.69 lakh are two-wheelers and 13.58 lakh are four-wheelers. It’s not exactly a realistic situation but imagine all of these vehicles on the road at the same. Even many of the homes in Bangalore cannot provide parking facilities to tenants. The best option is to take public transportation and autos and cab services to commute.

3) Lack of place for people to walk

The city wasn’t planned properly. Maybe the planners weren’t as much of futurists as they should have been, but even pedestrians face the shortcomings of Bangalore’s infrastructure. Motorists, especially two wheelers, often claim even the footpaths as their paths. Crossing roads is quite an ordeal. Unlike most other countries where the motorist comes a complete halt to give way to crossing pedestrians, in Bangalore, you need to wait until the road is totally clear no matter what the traffic signals say. We could use more strategically placed skywalks.

4) Poor waste management

From dealing with 200 tonnes of garbage in the year 2000-2001 to 3700 tonnes in 2015, Bangalore today is not adequately equipped to handle its waste problems. The BBMP appears helpless in dealing with waste of this magnitude. Often you get to see massive piles of waste being dumped on the sides of the roads. They even resort to burning this waste to get rid of it, which has potentially dangerous consequences.

Solutions:

1) Cultural mindset shift

People’s attitudes need to be changed if we are to achieve any real changes. This includes leaders, politicians, blue collar workers, home makers, businessmen, influential people as well as the common man alike. There needs to be a paradigm shift. Social media is a tool to bring this change across. Let your voice be heard, let your words spread. Real change calls for real activism. If you want a better life for the yourself and more importantly, the future generations, you need to work towards it.

2) Educate future generations

Don’t let them be like us. Educate kids on respecting the rules and the lives of each other. This should start at school. Let the solutions to this conundrum be taught to them in advance. When our generation rules the population, they’ll need to keep in mind the needs of the lives of the future generations. It might be debatable whether it’s too late for us to change or not (it’s actually not), but the future generations can be molded into warriors of all round development. The world needs more Greta Thunbergs.

3) Restore our lakes and parks

This has numerous benefits. Our city needs its lakes and parks back. Development doesn’t just mean more buildings. It’s about balance, keeping in mind the needs of the people and the economy equally. More trees should be planted wherever possible. More green cover is always good and it would be really nice to reclaim our “Garden City” title.