The Hindu reported a nice initiative from GVK-Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) ‘108’ Ambulance Service : Using the app to call the ambulance service easily, to determine location of the caller swiftly, and directing the closest available ambulance.
Can Municipal agencies coordinate civic works?
On Jul 10, 2015, the Hindu reported the lack of coordination between BWSSB and BBMP : Unmaking Of A Road
This is not new, and yet every time it happens, we hear the same stories about how there is no communication between the agencies. The news report says that the agencies have been directed to meet once/week to improve coordination.
Our submission is that the process has to be aided by technology to provide transparency, and complete visibility. The projects can be easily located on the Bangalore map. This can happen as soon as the project intent is known. The updates will be instantaneously visible on the map, and thus conflicts can be highlighted. Decisions can be faster, and better-informed, with the aid of data.
In a related article in the same newspaper, Roads Still Riddled With Potholes, BBMP is said to have set a deadline of 10 days to fill 3623 potholes.
Once again, there is no sanctity to these numbers unless there is transparency. The same technology can be leveraged to identify the problem location, check that the fix location matches, and share with the public.
Potholes in Bangalore
On June 12, The Hindu reported a BBMP official stating that the city roads have 5000 potholes to be filled. 50 special teams have been formed to cover all major, arterial and sub-arterial roads. The audit aims to do a ground reality check of the condition of the city’s roads.
5000-potholes-are-yet-to-be-filled
One week later, on June 19, the Hindu reported BBMP statement that there are 2631 potholes to be filled.
2631-potholes-to-be-filled-in-city
It is a welcome change to hear BBMP officials admitting that the problem of potholes is widespread, and is causing serious problem to the commuters. However, it is hard to believe that about 2400 potholes were fixed in a week. Unfortunately, with no scientific way of gathering and maintaining data, and no transparency in sharing it, the numbers are left to convenient interpretation.
There was a novel protest by an artist who created a “crocodile pond” using a pothole!
Away in Mangalore, citizens planted saplings to draw attention to potholes.
These are indeed clever, unconventional methods employed by frustrated citizens to draw attention of the responsible authorities. Some do bring about the desired change. However they are few, and far in between.
We would like to work with BBMP and like-minded organizations to bring technical solutions which will aid this process and help the municipality to direct its funds appropriately.
A simple step towards awakening social conscience
Kudos to the young man who thought of preventing injuries to others despite his own pain. That one spark ignited the others around, and it was contagious! Thanks to Shilpa Shree for sharing this, and her contribution to make our streets safe.
Each one of us can make a difference!
***
Every time I hear of road accident death instances, my heart goes out to grieving families. I have lost a dear one too. Sometimes it angers me that the collective conscience of our country seems to be dead and we have become insensitive to the grieving families and we don’t seem to value a life. But sometimes certain instances rejuvenate hope in us. This is the story of one such incident.
It was a normal day. As usual, I stepped out for my walk in the evening. I took the usual route, which is a five minute distance from my residence to Aarey Bhaskar (the nearby garden with a decent walking track of 450 metres).
Just a minute before I reached my destination I saw a crowd of 4-5 people standing next to a couple of bikes parked on the roadside. Two of them were mildly limping. As I headed close to them I noticed a trail of black liquid that seemed like oil which must have leaked from a truck that had just passed. Obviously these two guys skidded over it and had a fall.
It touched my heart to see that 2-3 other college going students along with these two people who had fallen were alerting the other two wheelers that came the same way about the oil spill.
I walked towards the lanky fellow who was hurt and asked him how is he doing. “I first need to do something about this oil spill madam. I am thinking of that. I don’t want anyone else to fall,” he said. I could not stop a tear that fell from my eyes. He became my instant hero. Instead of letting me float away in my thoughts, he brought me back to reality with his urgency.
“Madam, hum kya kar sakte hai? Mera dimaag nahi chal raha. Mere paav mai bohut dukh raha hai (Madam what do you think we could could do? My mind is not working. My leg is hurting). I just want make sure that this oil spill is taken care off,” he said.
A collegian around suggested that we pour mud over the spill so that mud adds a friction preventing the two wheelers from falling. We immediately ran towards the nearby shops, picked up buckets and anything that resembled a spade and started digging mud that lie near Aarey Bhaskar and gently laid it on the spill. When we began we were about 6 people, but soon the number swelled to about 30. In 10 minutes the entire 200 metre stretch of oil spill was covered with mud.
That day I realized, if we as a citizen help ourselves by being a little selfless, the nation will join us. It restored my faith in humanity.
–Shilpa Shree , Mumbai
Rules To Protect Good Samaritans Notified
MAJOR UPDATE from the Save Life Foundation :
Government of India issues guidelines to protect Good Samaritans who help accident victims.
Three years ago, the Save Life Foundation filed a PIL in the Honourable Supreme Court of India requesting it to lay down guidelines to protect Good Samaritans (those who help injured persons) from harassment and intimidation at the hands of Police, Hospitals and Courts.
Today is a landmark day for us – a HUGE victory!!
Following the SC order in our case, the Government of India has officially issued these guidelines. Please download the order from http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2015/164095.pdf and keep it handy with you.
PLEASE ALSO SHARE THESE WIDELY so more and more people know their new rights and can come forward to help the injured without fear of legal repercussions, harassment or intimidation.
We thank the Honourable Supreme Court and Government of India for creating a supportive legal environment for bystanders to come forward and help the injured. If you or anyone you know still faces harassment or intimidation, please write to us at info@savelifefoundation.org
News article in The Hindu: Landmark guidelines to protect Good Samaritans
Engineering Smoother Traffic at KR Puram Bridge
Update June 7, 2015
On 3 June 2015, we met M.A. Saleem. He is the Additional Commissioner of Police ( Traffic ), Bangalore. This proposal resonated well with him. He has already implemented a manual system of flow control – using a traffic policeman. After observing the positive outcome for a few days ( 15 days ) he plans to implement the traffic signal to regulate traffic. In this timeframe, he is also looking to demarcate areas for bus stops.
*****
May 31, 2015
Here is a small effort to suggest a solution to calm the traffic at KR Puram Bridge, and thus reduce the stress, and the risk of accidents.
The background : We had filed an RTI to find the blackspots in Bangalore. KR Puram – Old Madras road had the worst record related to accidents, injuries and fatalities. While the exact location of the hot spot is not obvious from the RTI response, a drive along the Old Madras road will show that there are two spots that stand out. One is at the KR Puram Bridge, where the Old Madras road meets the Outer Ring Road Benniganahalli Flyover. The second one is near the junction leading to ITPL, Mahadevapura.
Our attempt here is to address the traffic situation at the KR Puram Bridge.
We are hoping to take this to the Bangalore Traffic Police / BTRAC / BBMP to gain support and further implement it.
We also want to express sincere thanks to our new acquaintances from the Bangalore Traffic Police : Inspector Niranjan and Inspector Mahesh Kanakagiri. They are now partners in our quest for safer roads!
Spread the Word
Update :
The school where this initiative was taken is the Cauvery Global School (CBSE) and Cauvery Matriculation School, Trichy. The person behind this initiative – Chinnaraj Sundararaman – is the President of the School Governing Council.
Thank you for taking the initiative to convert the Pledge into something more meaningful to the students of your school. The younger generation is a greater hope for us, and if we are able to get them to understand the need for disciplined defensive driving, it will make a tremendous impact.
****
Thank you, Sandhya Lovekar, for spreading the word via Facebook. This is her message
“An example of the power of social media when used well. I had posted a list of road safety rules written by my sister-in-law, Shubhangi Tambwekar, as part of VIKRAM, a road safety initiative of The Arundhati Foundation, established in memory of my niece.
I got a message from Sangitha Krishnamurthi, who told me that a friend of hers had seen this post, and made a board with these points, which is now put up in the parking lot of a school in Trichy. The school has 850 students in their co-ed division, and 600 in their matriculation school which is all-girls.
Please thank your friend, Sangi, for this initiative. Let the word spread. Let no more parents, family, and friends grieve at the senseless deaths of their loved ones.”
Posting the picture of this board
.
Thank you, Chinnaraj Sundara Raman. Your initiative is highly appreciated, since being a change agent is hard. But your small step gives us hope that our message resonates, and that it will spread. Thank you!
We do not know the name of the school, but we will update this article when we get the information.
Safe Road Users Goa
Many Thanks to Dr Rajesh Dhume and Dr Joaquim Kenneth Barbosa
They have started an initiative to encourage self-regulated driving. If you would like to be a responsible driver then visit their page named ‘safe road users goa‘ on Facebook. To increase awareness, and spread the word, you can ask for a sticker for your vehicle
More Tere Bins on Cambridge Road
A follow-up on our Cambridge Road Spot Fix.
The spot near HOPCOMS continues to be a sore spot. We still need to find a better solution.
However, the Tere Bins on Cambridge Road have been quite effective to reduce the litter on the road. Also thanks to the shopkeepers and the hotel owners here who have supported us.
Encouraged by this, we have now installed 3 more Tere Bins on the other side of the road near Frank Anthony Public School.
Here are a couple of pics.
a new Tere Bin
School children can walk more safely now!
Thanks to Savita Thakur, for carrying forth the Vikram initiative of The Arundhati Foundation to Mumbai and making it safer for school kids to use the footpath. Here is a brief note from her.
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This is near Vidyanidhi School, Juhu Scheme, Mumbai.
This footpath is between two schools and there are play grounds on either side so plenty of kids use these roads. Everyone walks on the road and not the sidewalk due to the open drains. These lids are stolen in the middle of the night for the iron rods within the lids. BMC surely needs to come up with some solution – lids that are not easy to take away.
There were seven open drains along a single sidewalk.
After months of follow-up with the Municipal Councillor, these have now been covered, but with over-sized lids. The BMC has promised that they will replace these within two weeks, with new ones ( which can not be easily stolen) . Will follow-up this up with them.
regards,
Savita Thakur
on behalf of The Arundhati Foundation
The picture speaks for itself!