Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Next steps - Autos and how do we get people to walk a little

As part of the CNN IBN 'Be the Change' show, our next steps towards traffic improvement in CT junction include solving the problems that the auto drivers and passengers create.

Broadly, the problems are:

  • Auto drivers stop their autos wherever they please, even stopping in the middle of the road.
  • Passengers get off the autos right in front of Cyber Towers causing vehicles to hold up behind them.
  • "Shared autos" keep hovering near the intersection in hopes of getting passengers and take up nearly 2 out of the 3 available lanes causing a bottleneck.
  • Passengers oblige these waiting autos by getting in them right at the intersection
  • People standing in the middle of the road to catch a bus/auto.

How we want to tackle this:
  • Create auto stands 50 meters away from the junction-any parking or auto stands need to be atleast 50 mtrs away from traffic junctions. At least 1 auto stand near Wipro and the other in front of Shilparam.
  • Put up boards near the traffic signal that informing people about the auto stands and that they shouldn't catch autos right at the signal.
  • Get the auto drivers to start using the auto stands. Same goes for the people intending to catch autos.
It is going to be EXTREMELY difficult,if not impossible; but as Anthony Hopkins says in Mission: Impossible 2 : "Mr. Hunt, this isn't Mission Difficult, it's Mission Impossible. "Difficult" should be a walk in the park for you."

I can use all the help that I get, so please if there are folks out there who would like to be involved in this "Mission", please send me an email at sikhoya [at] gmail [dot] com

We spoke with ADCP Ashok Reddy yesterday and he mentioned that the traffic police is willing to help out. I just went across and met DCP MuniSwamy and Addl DCP Ashok Reddy and handed them the letter requesting for their help. We should get the signed copy of the letter (approval) by Nov 30.

3 comments:

Kannan Kartha said...

I totally agree. But its just not auto. Its APSRTC buses and cabs. I am also one of those who is pretty irritated by the traffic though I try to stick to the rules. Lane discipline is something we need to work on. Let me know if I can be of help. I have blogged about traffic menace couple of times.

Saurabh J. Madan said...

I am curious to know how this turned out.

Sameer said...

For the period that this was implemented, it turned out pretty well, but we decided not to proceed further with an auto stand because
1. The CT junction will undergo a lot of changes because of flyover and an underpass being constructed.
2. The Shilparam wall is supposed to be pushed in another 10-20 meters, so any "permanent" structure there would not make sense.