Over the last five days, The Hindu #whatsyourissue campaign focussed on how our roads can be made better — for both, motorists and pedestrians. We invited readers to write in about the problems they face during their daily commute. From pavements in disrepair to chaotic junctions with no signage, killer potholes to unscientific speed-breakers that do more harm than good, readers helped us identify neighbourhoods and roads that badly needed the attention of the authorities.
Following our reports and feedback to the authorities, some of the issues were addressed immediately. For instance, after The Hindu wrote about the shoddy condition of pavements, MLA S. Raghu inspected a bad stretch in Indiranagar and ensured that some of the broken slabs were fixed the next day.
On August 24, based on feedback from our readers, we tackled the issue of speed-breakers, the majority of which are poorly marked and badly built. D.S. Ramesh, Executive Engineer, Traffic Engineering Cell, BBMP told The Hindu that the civic body would take up repairs on a priority basis.
Potholes and craters are a perennial problem. While the civic body will be repairing potholes in the busy Lower Agaram Road on Saturday, there is an urgent need to address the problem of bad roads not just in one area but across the city.
There is no one-time solution to many of these problems. These issues require constant monitoring and engagement between citizens and the authorities. To facilitate this interaction, The Hindu has invited members of residents’ welfare associations to meet BBMP’s chief engineer (Major Roads) K.T. Nagaraj on Saturday at 3.30 p.m.
Those who are unable to attend can interact with R.K. Mishra, member, Technical Advisory Committee, BBMP and Ashish Verma, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, IISc, during a web chat on Saturday at 4 p.m. to discuss the issue.
Join the web chatSaturday at 4.pm. http://bit.ly/2bnPzFc
Issues taken up
* Missing lane markings and signage
* Bad pavements
* Unscientific speed-breakers
* Potholes
* Chaotic junctions
People’s Mail1) Thank you so much @BloreConnect for this wonderful initiative and let people speak up their mind
@BORN2BAWSOME
2) Really loved the initiative, Bengaluru has more potholes than IT companies
@SHRADDHASATLE
3) #Landmarks in #Bengaluru are created by Land #marks (#potholes)
@PARIMALRD
4) How about starting a campaign #signboardforpotholes demanding accountability by concerned officials
@ RISK_SPEED
5) Bangalore life: Lurching from one pothole to another, stumbling from one traffic jam into another
@AKHILAR