Railway underpass sought to ease traffic congestion
September 24, 2013
TNN |
Even now, motorists depend on this road to avoid getting stuck in the traffic on KK Road. Despite the utility of this road which connects Kanjikuzhy and Kodimatha, it is badly maintained and the demand for an underpass at Muttambalam is also being ignored.
With several apartment projects completed and some underway and others being planned in Kanjikuzhy and Manganam area, the density of population would increase in these areas in the coming years, which will make the development of this road a priority.
The railway gate at Muttambalam is only a few kilometres away from the Kottayam railway station and on Monday, the local residents were shocked to see a train approaching the opened gate around 10.45am.
However, the train stopped a few metres away and continued the journey only after the gates were closed. “I was alerted by the local residents when I was approaching the gate in my scooter,” said H Kurien, a motorist.
Meanwhile, the Railway officials at the Kottayam Railway Station said that the gate at Muttambalam operates through a signal system and the green signal will be shown only when the gates are closed.
According to the officials of the engineering department, a proposal for an underpass here was there, but has gathered dust.
Meanwhile, Kuruvilla Jacob, a resident of Muttambalam and former municipal council member of this ward, the proposal for the widening of the Madukkany-Chanthakkadavu Road is as old as 1978. “The widening was there in the master plan of the town. The proposal was for an 18-metre wide road out of which six metre was for footpath and drainage,” he said.
The road passes through Bata Junction, Erayilkadavu, Chantha Kadavu and joins MG Road in Kodimatha.
Once the Erayilkadavu Bridge is completed, reaching Manipuzha will also become easier.
Meanwhile, PWD officials said that the road from Muttambalam to Chanthakkadavu will be resurfaced soon.
“The work has been tendered and will start soon. As of now, only the surface will be relaid and widening is not there,” said Santhosh, assistant executive engineer.
Google Maps unveils live traffic updates, free voice navigation in India
September 19, 2013
R. DINAKARAN
Google Maps has introduced live traffic updates and voice navigation in India.
There were rumours on Tuesday that voice navigation would come ‘any time’ after a Google video explaining voice navigation went live. Though the video was pulled out later, the buzz about voice navigation continued.
At present, it looks like the traffic information is available for Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune.
The live traffic updates are available both in the desktop version and Google Maps in Android and iOS. The voice navigation is available in Android.
Free service
The voice navigation — which is free — is likely to affect companies like MapyMyIndia, Navigon and Sygic that sell voice navigation devices and apps.
In the desktop version, the default screen shows live traffic. If you prefer traffic on a particular date and time, it can be changed from the option provided on the bottom left of the map screen.
What has surprised many is the quiet manner in which the eagerly expected feature was rolled out.
There was no announcement. It was the discovery of the video in Youtube that set the tongues rolling, and the features went live late on Tuesday night.
But on Wednesday, Google’s India blog had a post about the updates.
It said: “We’re excited today to announce that both of these features are now available for Google Maps users in India — one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing markets for online map services worldwide. Google Maps Navigation (Beta) is free and accessible to any smartphone user running Android 2.2 or later, and live traffic information is visible on both the mobile and desktop versions of Google Maps.”
It said the live navigation offers directions in Indian accent. “Your phone will announce upcoming directions to you as you move along your route — and it will even use a friendly and familiar Indian accent if you’ve selected the Indian English locale on in your phone settings,” it said.
Live traffic guide
Along with Transit, which provides comprehensive public transport data, Google Maps has taken a step further in offering a complete live transport guide.
It is not known when Google will roll out live traffic updates for rest of the country.
Nokia too offers free voice navigation through Nokia Maps.
Overlooking local traffic one of the main causes of expressway mess
September 9, 2013
Siddhartha Rai , Hindustan Times Gurgaon,
It is now a known fact that the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and the associated phenomena — jams, holdups, broken service roads and unending queues at the two toll plazas — have made life difficult for commuters, but the devil, as the saying goes, is in the details.
Absence of pedestrian walkways, near absence of cross-over facilities like foot-overbridges and underpasses, and messy and uncoordinated intersections are some of the design flaws that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in its defence against catechism from the Parliament and the CAG, said it did not anticipate while planning the expressway.
“The Gurgaon authorities did not coordinate with the NHAI. They saw that development along the highway was easy and profitable, and did not develop their internal traffic mechanism, putting the entire pressure on the highway.
“There was lack of planning from the beginning. The volume of traffic was 10 times the figure estimated on the very first day of operations. The authorities, clearly, did not take into account population growth, rise in number of vehicles, the expected rate of industrial growth in new Gurgaon, and migration from Delhi,” said urban planning expert Sarika Panda Bhat.
Bhat also suggests constructing a bypass to avoid the traffic muddle created due to the expressway and the toll plazas.
After Seoul removed the Cheonggyecheon highway, the average price for apartments in the area rose by almost 25% as compared to only 10% in the neighborhoods farther away. Rents for commercial office spaces rose, too. Who knows the case might be the same for Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.
Residents want barriers and traffic signal on road
September 5, 2013
Hindustan Times (Delhi) /Vibha Sharma MANOJ KUMAR / HT PHOTOS
Narendra Yadav, estate officer, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), visited Sector 27 recently. The residents raised the matter of installing barriers and a traffic signal on the main road of Sectors 27 and 28 with him at that time.
(( (There is a demand to install a traffic signal and barriers at this point.)
Considering that the main road of Sectors 27 and 28 and the main road of Sector 43 are one way, vehicles go past at a high speed. It is very difficult for pedestrians to cross these roads. People also find it difficult to take a turn towards their colony or come out of it. The circumstances also increase the chance of accidents. To overcome these problems the RWA members requested Yadav to arrange for the installation of barriers on the road and also a traffic signal.
Says Harish Ahuja, secretary of the Sector 27 RWA, “There was a major accident here last month. Installing barriers is important to avoid accidents.”
Yadav spoke to Arun Dhankar, executive engineer, electric wing, HUDA, for the installation of barriers in the next one week. He asked for two months time for the installation of a traffic signal on this stretch. The residents also demanded installation of signboards in the area. “Ideally, signboards mentioning the sectors on this road and mentioning it as one way road should be installed at the beginning of the road. But the absence of such signboards causes a lot of inconvenience to a person coming here for the first time,” adds Ahuja.
The residents also raised the matter of poor maintenance of the parks in the area. “In a majority of the parks, the trees have been planted haphazardly. These have been planted in the middle of the parks leaving no space for the children to play and visitors to sit. There is absolutely no planning. The bushes and the plants are overgrown and need pruning. No one ever comes for maintenance. Similarly, the infrastructure facilities in the parks are not up to the mark. The water valve is missing in some places,” adds MC Gulati, RWA member. The residents have suggested that the parks be developed as model parks. After discussing the matter with the officials of the horticulture wing, HUDA, Yadav agreed to develop one park as a model park.
Says VK Nirala, executive engineer, horticulture department, HUDA, “We have received the instructions and soon we will be developing one park as a model park. We will do the designing and beautification work by setting stones at the entrance and inside as well. Since the maintenance of a model park is an issue as we have to arrange for guards as well, plans are on to convert one park into a model park as if now.”
Nirala accepted the fact that the parks have no space for people to sit and children to play. “I agree that trees are planted unevenly in the middle of the parks and this causes inconvenience to the visitors. But we can’t do anything or cut the trees. These have been planted like this since the establishment of sector,” he adds.
Regarding the regular cleaning of sewerlines, Yadav also instructed the concerned officials to arrange for proactive cleaning. “Rather than waiting for the residents’ complaints about the overflowing of sewerlines, it is important for officials to arrange regular cleaning,” said Yadav.
Source-http://paper.hindustantimes.com
Traffic police to crack down on DTC buses
September 5, 2013
Subhendu Ray | hindustantimes.com
Police say they will start impounding DTC buses to end ‘killing spree’
NEW DELHI: Deviating from their earlier ‘softer’ stance, Delhi Police have decided to start impounding DTC buses for dangerous driving — a major reason for fatal accidents on city roads.
This year, DTC buses have already claimed 50 lives in the Capital.
On Tuesday, violence erupted in Govindpuri area in south Delhi after a DTC bus killed a 15-year-old student. Sixteen DTC buses were damaged after students went on the rampage.
Anil Shukla, additional commissioner of police (traffic), said, “Enough is enough. We cannot sit idle and let people die under the wheels of DTC buses. We will soon start impounding such buses for dangerous driving and accidents.”
Following a direction from the Delhi High Court early this year, Delhi Police had adopted a strategy of not impounding DTC buses unless they were involved in major accidents. The court had said impounding buses would cause major inconvenience to thousands of commuters.
The traffic police issued challans to 8,590 DTC drivers this
(*till September 3) year of which 3,704 were fined for dangerous driving. they impounded 299 vehicles and arrested 569 drivers so far.
“Indiscipline among DTC drivers while driving is increasing. We will take up the matter with the high court,” a senior traffic police officer said.
On Wednesday, DTC authorities suspended SC Sharda, manager, Srinivaspuri depot. A bus (DL-1P-6475) from this depot had mowed down a student on Tuesday. The transport corporation said they had suffered damages worth R6 lakh and were going to lodge an FIR for damaging government property.
IEA Report Offers Prescription to Ease Urban Transit Congestion
August 19, 2013
(Photograph by Greg Girard, For National Geographic Thomas K. Grose \For National Geographic )
Bus Rapid Transit lanes in Guangzhou, China, have helped that city manage traffic congestion. A new IEA report rounds up strategies that cities around the world can use to increase energy efficiency as urban populations grow and transit demand increases.
City dwellers accustomed to regular traffic jams and road rage may shudder at the prospect of the world’s urban areas getting even more crowded.
Nonetheless, such growth is assured: The percentage of people living in cities is expected to reach 70 percent by 2050, and roadway occupancy levels could increase sixfold in some countries, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The energy needed to move all of those people around will double, the agency says in a report released Wednesday, and managing the negative environmental and economic effects of this growth could cost countries billions of dollars.
There is, however, another way forward. The IEA report, titled “A Tale of Renewed Cities,” recommends several proven strategies for enhancing the energy efficiency of metropolitan transport systems. Drawing from examples in more than 30 cities around the world, the report details a three-pronged approach to managing transit amid ever-growing urban populations.
“Avoid, Shift, and Improve”
Global transportation accounts for 20 percent of the world’s energy use, and 40 percent of that consumption occurs in cities. “The need for efficient, affordable, safe and high-capacity transport solutions will become more acute,” Maria van der Hoeven, IEA director, said at a press conference that was webcast live from the Paris office of the agency, which was created in 1974 to promote energy security. “Urgent steps to improve the efficiency of urban transport systems are needed not only for energy security reasons, but also to mitigate the numerous negative climate, noise, air pollution, congestion and economic impacts of rising urban transport volumes.”
The IEA report calls for incentives to reduce regular travel, increase use of non-motorized or mass transit, and boost the use of cleaner, energy-efficient vehicles. This “avoid, shift, and improve” strategy could, between now and 2050, help cities save at least $70 trillion because of reduced spending on petroleum, roadway infrastructure, and vehicles.
Walter Hook, director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), a New York think tank that promotes environmentally sustainable transportation, said the IEA report’s recommendations were similar to the ITDP’s. “We agree with the ‘avoid, switch, improve’ approach, also,” he said. While the $70 trillion savings figure might be somewhat “volatile,” Hook added, “if anybody knows the fuel ramifications [of urbanization] it would be the International Energy Agency, because of what they do.”
The IEA report highlights the fact that urban travel has become overly reliant on automobiles. In 2000, there were around 625 million passenger cars on the world’s roads; as of 2010, that number had grown to 850 million. The growth in car ownership has, according to the report, “led to significant shifts away from non-motorized transport and public-transport modes, even in dense areas.”
That trend is continuing. The IEA projects that the world’s stock of motorized vehicles will double by 2050, stoking roadway occupancy levels. Beyond the high economic costs of time spent not moving in traffic jams, the IEA said, the growing number of cars is negatively affecting the environment and the health and safety of city residents. For instance, the World Health Organization says that road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds. Overall, traffic mishaps cause 1.3 million deaths a year and cost more than $500 billion. (See related pictures:
Policies designed to help residents avoid inefficient travel include the promotion of telecommuting and carpooling, and construction of high-density, mixed-use developments that enable residents to live, work, and indulge in leisure pursuits in one area. The “shift” part of the strategy involves policies that promote affordable and efficient mass-transit systems, parking restrictions, congestion-zone charges, and dedicated lanes for buses and bicycles, all to encourage a switch away from private cars.
To improve the use of cars still on the road, the IEA argues for tougher fuel-economy standards, fiscal incentives to encourage greater use of hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), and planning for EV charging stations. (See related story
No Magic Bullets
The report, however, noted that while policies aimed at getting more fuel-efficient cars on roads can cut energy consumption and emissions, they’re not terribly effective when applied by themselves, because they can also encourage more travel and car ownership. “Consequently, it is preferable to pair ‘improve’ policies with ‘avoid’ and ‘shift’ measures to ensure that gains from vehicle and fuel improvements are not lost to increased motorized travel,” it said.
The IEA report largely takes a best-practices approach, and includes a large number of successful policies that have been implemented in cities ranging from Nashville to Shanghai to Lagos, Nigeria.
For example:
New York City introduced express bus services that within a year cut travel times by 11 minutes, which helped increase ridership.
Seoul reformed a bus system that had rewarded drivers who allowed overcrowded buses and drove recklessly. The improvements led to increased ridership, and faster and safer journeys.
Belgrade, Serbia, tripled its urban rail system’s passenger numbers within six months of a major overhaul of the network.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, which use bus networks that are akin to light-rail systems but at a fraction of the cost, have proved to be big hits in cities such as Lagos, Buenos Aires, and Guangzhou, China.
Bus-only lanes have helped ease congestion in many cities, too, including Buenos Aires and Shanghai.
San Francisco implemented in 2011 a digital, real-time pilot parking management system to ease congestion. It’s being tested on 7,000 metered spaces. SFpark, as it’s called, tells motorists where parking is available, and uses demand-responsive pricing to cut demand in crowded areas.
The report also stressed that there are few one-size-fits-all solutions, and placed cities into four different categories—developing, sprawling, congested, and multi-modal—each requiring a different mix of remedies. What works in New York City would not necessarily work in Seoul, Didier Houssin, IEA director of sustainable technology policy, told the press conference.
How likely is it that the world’s city planners will heed the report’s recommendations? ITDP’s Hook said that the chances are good. “Most cities are moving in this direction anyway, though not necessarily for fuel reasons. Most do not want people to live in traffic-congested, air-polluted cities,” he said.
And even though too many fast-growing cities in India, China, and Africa are still headed the wrong way, toward the old car-oriented paradigm, Hook said, “some are trying to respond intelligently” by overhauling creaky mass-transit systems or building new, improved ones.
Source-http://news.nationalgeographic.co.in
Officials told to use LEDs
August 16, 2013
DC |
Visakhapatnam: Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration & Urban Development Dr Sailendra Kumar Joshi suggested that GVMC officials prepare a proposal on comprehensive transport system for the future traffic needs of the city.
He advised officials to replace existing street lights with LEDs as it would cut down 50 per cent of the expenditure.
He held a review meeting with officials here on Saturday. When officials told him that they would prepare a plan for eight BRTS corridors in and around the city with an estimated expenditure of Rs 2,200 crore, Joshi advised them to prepare the plan covering all areas of the corporation.
Source-http://www.deccanchronicle.com
Higher fines on cards for parking violations
August 14, 2013
PUNE: Parking in no-parking zones or straying into bus rapid transit system (BRTS) lanes in Pimpri Chinchwad may soon attract heavy penalties ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, with a new proposal from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) awaiting the nod.
The traffic police and the civic body will share the fine amount equally if the proposal comes through.
The civic administration has tabled the proposal for the city improvement committee’s (CIC) approval. The proposal explains how motorists park their vehicles haphazardly on and along roads, obstructing vehicular
traffic and causing congestion. It states how the traffic police have the right to impose fines on such errant individuals under the Motor Vehicles Act, but the fine amount is significantly low to act as a deterrent for repeat offences.
With rising vehicle numbers, such offences are only expected to increase. The traffic police has been long demanding that the PCMC grant powers to them on the lines of Pune Municipal Corporation, under Section 208 of the Maharashtra Municipal Act, which allows them to impose fines on all vehicles that are parked without authorisation, parked in no-parking areas and are driven in BRTS lanes. The Pune civic body had granted such powers to the traffic police in 2004.
The Pimpri Chinchwad civic general body had approved a resolution in August 2009 to grant powers to the traffic police to take action against only commercial vehicles. The traffic department has been seeking the powers to take action against all types of vehicles. The approval of the city improvement committee, standing committee and general body are necessary to grant such powers to the traffic police.
A PCMC official said that the proposal was kept pending by CIC, since its members have sought more information from the traffic police.
Vikas Patil, president, Paryavaran Sanvardhan Samiti said, “The fine is not a solution for disciplining people; it might increase corruption. The civic body must remove all vehicle repair, washing and selling centres located on pavements. Banks, ATMs and shops facing roads must make adequate parking arrangements for their customers to prevent roadside parking. Basements must be used only for parking vehicles.”
Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Now, learn traffic rules through postcards
August 14, 2013
TNN |
The office has introduced a programme on creating traffic awareness through postcards and visiting cards with an aim to reduce the number of accidents in the region.
It is sending the post cards, on which different types of traffic safety messages are printed, to the all the applicants who are approaching the office. Staff are also distributing the visiting cards with the road safety rules and acts to the visitors of the office. Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) M P Abdul Subair said that the initiative is aiming to make the people aware of traffic rules so as to save their lives and also of others. The necessity of wearing helmets, wearing seat belts, the directions to avoid usage of mobile phones while driving and the messages which are discouraging drunken driving also would be there among the messages on postcards and visiting cards.
The Highway Jagratha Samithis and Jana Jagratha Samithis are also functioning in the Tirurangadi region in the backdrop of the increasing number of accidents on the Tirurangadi region of NH 66. A squad of around thousand local people including autorickshaw drivers and salesmen on the highway is active with their 24/7 trauma care service along the stretch. The squad which was formed by Tirurangadi police, Vigilance Task Force (HVTF) is active in trauma care service.
The MVI said the initiative is expected to be a success and it will help reduce the number of accidents. “Awareness is the only way to prevent accidents and the fresh model of initiative will receive the attention of public easily,” he said.
Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Delhi: After delays, e-challan finally sees light of day
August 14, 2013
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times New Delhi,
The much-awaited e-challan project of the traffic police has finally kicked-off in the city though the official inauguration of the project will take place at the end of this month.
“We made all 1,200 e-challan devices operational a few days ago. However, certain technical glitches remain which are being sorted out. We hope to formally launch the project by end of the month and make available the e-payment option in the devices,” said Anil Shukla, additional commissioner of police (traffic).
The e-challan has replaced a traffic policeman’s age-old challan book. It aism to help the police catch repeat offenders as it will be linked to the central database and will provide the policeman a record of previous traffic violations, if any. Traffic police claim the device will enable them to raise at least Rs. 120 crore per annum through e-challans, about three times the average annual amount of Rs. 45 crore.
With the launch of this project, Delhi has joined the league of Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai, where such a system is already in place, though sources said the devices are showing some glitches like heating up and connectivity problems.
The hand-held devices have been distributed among policemen in all traffic circles and are together likely to generate nearly 2,500-3,000 challan receipts every day, said a senior traffic police official.
The police have also received a go-ahead for the e-payment gateway from the ministry of home affairs and have tied up with State Bank of India for the facility, said officials.
The e-challan project had faced a number of administrative and technical roadblocks. These included the machine malfunctioning due to weather conditions and the inability of policemen to operate the devices.