BENGALURU: Traffic police are focussing more on penalty collection than on fixing commuters’ problems. What can be done? The Sarjapura-Varthur-Whitefield Road doesn’t have dividers despite many accidents being reported. Why?
Candidates in Mahadevapura assembly constituency, who are girding up their loins for the big battle on May 12, had to face a volley of queries from their
electorate on Sunday. At ‘Mahadevapura asks MLA candidates’, an interaction programme organised by citizen groups led by Whitefield Rising, almost all issues such as encroachment of lakes, traffic congestion, unscientific dumping of garbage, illegal construction and mosquito menace came up for discussion.
The organisers had received over 500 questions through WhatsApp and other social media forums for Aravind Limbavali of the BJP, AC Srinivasa of the Congress, Sathish K of JD(S), Bhaskar Prasad B R of Aam Aadmi Party and R Ramesh Chander of Swaraj India.
Citizens pointed out that encroachment of lakes (Pattandur Lake) and dumping of garbage are resulting in the spread of vector-borne diseases. Also, they are forced to spend more time on roads as the area is crippled with lack of infrastructure.
Limbavali said widening of roads is not a long-term solution for traffic congestion, instead the focus should be on promoting public transport. “We can ask companies that are under the special economic zone (SEZ) to make it mandatory for their employees to use public or office transport,” he said.
Ramesh Chander said ensuring lastmile connectivity and incentivising public transport would help.
Limbavali, who is seeking re-election from the constituency, admitted that unsegregated garbage is being dumped in the area and it was brought to the government’s notice. Citizen groups also presented their manifesto to the leaders.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com