Some Important Improvements Needed in Bangalore.

(Cross-posted from a post on Through Tinted Glasses)

In a separate blog post, I explained why I almost like Bangalore. As I prepare to depart from the city at the end of this excursion, I feel obliged to write down what is immediately needed in Bangalore. I am sure many have voiced their opinions on these matters before, and many will voice their opinions after.

1. Footpaths. Having a plane surface for the footpath is a reasonable requirement and, normally, you would not think twice in using concrete for that purpose. However, a circular — in Kannada — by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) indicates a different solution because, I believe, of weaker water handling properties of concrete. Whatever the solution, it is not clear from the BBMP web site what kind of program of activities to improve footpaths is planned.
2. Garbage Collection. It is hard to understand from the BBMP web site what kind of scheme is being planned to improve the garbage collection within the city limits. Garbage lies nearly everywhere and the landlords continue the state of affairs probably with impunity. There is some news about BBMP's plans by a myBangalore.com reporter, but one does not get a good feeling about BBMP's plans.
3. Traffic Management. Every intersection is a disaster. It seems that individual motorists have not been educated that the intersection is a shared resource that cannot be hogged for long periods of time. Or, perhaps, the individual motorist feels that, since no one else follows rules, "Why should I?" If people are ticketed in some select intersections, perhaps there will be a greater awareness throughout the motorist population.

In any case, one hopes that BBMP will attend to these and other matters: Bangalore will have to compete with other international cities for attracting various kinds of businesses in the future.