[wildsdi5530]

So I really need to buy a new vehicle to handle Bangalore roads. 2 weeks back, a hollow brick in the middle of the fast lane in the ORR totaled my tyre. On Saturday, returning from my clinic to my apartment in Nagwara, took the road beside Rachnahalli Lake and was seen to be flooded. Once the engine started missing and seeing some cars stranded in deeper water ahead, took a right to Amruthalli and back to BIAL road. Check engine light came on, but disappeared after a restart. Entered the road next to Godrej Woodsman and some more flooded cars. U-turn and went through ORR, thankfully didn't take the service lane as I usually do. Lots of traffic and many vehicles coming on the wrong side, Many cars in the service lane including a new BMW 6-Series? submerged. Felt bad to see crores worth of damage in vehicles after a small rain. It wasn't even heavy in Yelahanka, no idea how Nagwara got so flooded.
So I need to get a vehicle with the best ground clearance and/or good water fording depth. My MUV and sedans just don't make the cut. A MBT would be ideal.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

...

You may need to get a tank or a bullock cart. Or may be even a helicopter. I've given it a lot of thought while stuck in traffic and this is my conclusion!

[shamanth]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

.. I need to get a vehicle with the best ground clearance and/or good water fording depth. My MUV and sedans just don't make the cut. A MBT would be ideal.

Thar, Ecosport, Harrier have good water wading capacity. You could consider them.

[ashis89]

A rant from my end.

As if the bus lane (and the new cycle lane) was not enough, what's with this redesigning of entry and exit points into the service lane from the ORR?

Coming from Bellandur, I use the exit off ORR near Salarpuria Hallmark to get onto the bridge over the Kadubeesanahalli underpass. Earlier, this exit was smooth where you could slow down on the left, check the bus lane and move to the service lane.

Over the past few weeks, authorities have added concrete blocks from the underpass end to block most of the exit onto the service lane. Now, the gap between where the bollards of the bus lane end and the concrete blocks start is probably 15 ft. or less, making this exit a 90-deg turn. While coming, one has to come to a halt, check the bus lane for any bus, check the service lane and then make the turn. All this while, your vehicle will block one lane (of the two available lanes) on the ORR!

The bus stop is also situated at this exit point which means if someone is new to the road, they will miss this exit as the bus blocks the view completely. I have already witnessed two different cars which had crashed into the concrete block while making this last minute 90-deg turn. Almost all the exit and entry points on this road have been similarly redesigned. You keep seeing drivers having missed the turn and reversing slowly (instead of going ahead and taking a U-turn!).

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by ashis89

A rant from my end.

As if the bus lane (and the new cycle lane) was not enough, what's with this redesigning of entry and exit points into the service lane from the ORR?

On the stretch from Marathalli to KR Puram, this redesign has actually made the bus lane system better.

Instead of taking a 90 degree turn one can now enter into the bus lane for ~30ms and then take left into the service lane. Similarly from the service road one can enter into the bus lane for ~30m and then enter into the middle lane. The 30m distance is indicated by the hard barricades instead of the bollards.

However many vehicles (including myself once) dont realise the entry and exit points are different. Hence they take a wrong entry or exit and then travel in the bus lane for extra distance or completely miss the exit point all together.

I am happy with the new system at least in this stretch except for the buses that dont stick to the bus lane and still go under the Doddanekundi and Mahadevpura flyovers to pick up passengers and hence keep zigzagging all across the ORR

[airbus]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

Instead of taking a 90 degree turn one can now enter into the bus lane for ~30ms and then take left into the service lane. Similarly from the service road one can enter into the bus lane for ~30m and then enter into the middle lane. The 30m distance is indicated by the hard barricades instead of the bollards.

Entry/exit points need to be properly marked with dotted lines. I believe fine can be imposed if people enter bus lane by crossing solid lines. Again, bus lane on left most lane with many entry/exit points will lead to lot of chaos even if half of the people return to office. I had seen many cases, where traffic flow on ORR was affected because many vehicles were trying to enter service road from ORR thereby partially blocking ORR.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

Instead of taking a 90 degree turn one can now enter into the bus lane for ~30ms and then take left into the service lane. Similarly from the service road one can enter into the bus lane for ~30m and then enter into the middle lane. The 30m distance is indicated by the hard barricades instead of the bollards.

If true, this is a good solution. However I have seen cops stopping/redirecting folks who enter the bus lane to enter/exit the ORR. One day I got down from the Marathahalli flyover towards Bellandur and wanted to take the first entry into the ORR via the bus lane but a cop standing there was redirecting most of the cars asking them to continue on the service lane. And no, the bus lane was perfectly fine and there wasn't any congestion as such.

However many vehicles (including myself once) dont realise the entry and exit points are different. Hence they take a wrong entry or exit and then travel in the bus lane for extra distance or completely miss the exit point all together.

Exactly my point. People like me keep the turn or flyovers are landmarks for entry/exit. Without clear demarcations, it is tough to identify this 30m mark before the actual exit. I have done that twice and had to take a long U-turn to get back to my destination.

....Mahadevpura flyovers to pick up passengers and hence keep zigzagging all across the ORR

+1

Originally Posted by airbus

Entry/exit points need to be properly marked with dotted lines.....where traffic flow on ORR was affected because many vehicles were trying to enter service road from ORR thereby partially blocking ORR.

+1

Even with low traffic levels, there seems more chaos than order. Also I feel this increases chances of an accident especially when someone is trying to exit or enter this rather fast paced ORR.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

On the stretch from Marathalli to KR Puram, this redesign has actually made the bus lane system better.

Instead of taking a 90 degree turn one can now enter into the bus lane for ~30ms and then take left into the service lane.

Whether you enter the bus lane at the exit point or 30m earlier, the entry is still almost at 90 degrees. And at normal (pre-covid) traffic levels, you have thousands of vehicles trying to take each of these exits. Knowing the traffic sense of the people driving here, I am dreading the day offices open.
Proper entry and exit points are good, provided they are scientifically designed by engineers. Unfortunately, this stretch of ORR itself with twin-flyovers and wasted middle lanes is designed by corrupt babus and 5th failed contractors. Unless the entire road is redesigned, things will not improve.

Originally Posted by airbus

Entry/exit points need to be properly marked with dotted lines. I believe fine can be imposed if people enter bus lane by crossing solid lines.

Fining is easy way to fill the coffers of the govt and pockets of cops. Without proper sineage, and scientific traffic management, entering and exiting the newly created lanes without breaking rules is going to be next to impossible. Obviously the fines would be applicable only to the IT joe who genuinely missed a turn and not the cabbie/auto driver/local goon, who knowingly entered the bus lane from the opposite side of the exit and drove head on towards the traffic.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Exactly my point. People like me keep the turn or flyovers are landmarks for entry/exit. Without clear demarcations, it is tough to identify this 30m mark before the actual exit. I have done that twice and had to take a long U-turn to get back to my destination.

Originally Posted by airbus

Entry/exit points need to be properly marked with dotted lines. I believe fine can be imposed if people enter bus lane by crossing solid lines. Again, bus lane on left most lane with many entry/exit points will lead to lot of chaos even if half of the people return to office. I had seen many cases, where traffic flow on ORR was affected because many vehicles were trying to enter service road from ORR thereby partially blocking ORR.

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Whether you enter the bus lane at the exit point or 30m earlier, the entry is still almost at 90 degrees.

May be I wasn't clear in my description of the new entry/exit.

They have made it much easier to enter and exit and there are clear markings as well. The one issue is that unlike earlier where any one could enter/ exit via any opening in the service road, now they have made it such that that some openings are only for exiting and some are only for entry. I wasn't expecting that the first time and hence wasnt even on watch for any sign to suggest it is an entry/exit. Only after I took the entry I realised it was actually an exit for people of ORR to move into the service road and not an entry for people on service road to enter the ORR. ( For reference this was near the MG showroom in Mahadevpura)

Once people get used to this it should make exiting/ entering ORR far easier.

Also it definitely not a 90 degree turn anymore. You just move from the middle lane to the barricaded left lane about 30m before the opening and then enter into the Service lane like it used to be the case before the bus lane came into place. It is even better because now no one can cut you across from right when taking an exit because this left lane is now barricaded so there is a fairly smooth flow of vehicles.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

May be I wasn't clear in my description of the new entry/exit.

They have made it much easier to enter and exit and there are clear markings as well. The one issue is that unlike earlier where any one could enter/ exit via any opening in the service road, now they have made it such that that some openings are only for exiting and some are only for entry.

I stay in Bellandur and have seen what has been implemented. So, my comments are based on my observations and not your description.

When entering ORR from the service lane, one needs to be very careful of a speeding bus cutting you off. Because of the trees/bushes on the footpath, the bus driver doesn't have a clear visibility of the vehicles entering the lane. During peak hours, there will be a stream of vehicles trying to exit and multiple buses passing through. Additionally, there is a proposed cycle lane between the service road and foot path. So the exiting vehicles have to ensure they are not side swiping the cyclists and can't really hog that lane while waiting for the bus to pass.

When exiting the ORR, while the turn is not exactly 90 degrees, many people are either going to miss the turn or try to turn in from the fast lane. And we don't lack the queue jumping geniuses who will try to act smart and not wait behind the vehicles waiting for their turn to exit. And like I said before, these exit points are not designed to handle the amount of traffic this stretch sees on a daily basis.

And still there is no answer to
1. Where will company buses, tempo travelers, cabs and autos stop to pick up and drop passengers?
2. What if there is a bus breakdown?
3. What if a truck breaks down in the 1.5 vehicle wide main road?

Even after all this, the center lanes between flyovers have are not being utilized and still continue to be used as waste segregation grounds by the BBMP garbage trucks.

[shamanth]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

So I need to get a vehicle with the best ground clearance and/or good water fording depth. My MUV and sedans just don't make the cut. A MBT would be ideal.

I guess this would work for you, to over come water level on roads in Bangalore ? -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAxDQt8HS6Q

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by shamanth

I guess this would work for you, to over come water level on roads in Bangalore ?

I think to make this track, they would have asked babus from the civic authorities to provide an architecture diagram of magic box underpass. Look at how perfectly it is holding water and reminds us all of the infamous waterlogging in such underpasses.

[nagarjun]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I stay in Bellandur and have seen what has been implemented. So, my comments are based on my observations and not your description.

And still there is no answer to
1. Where will company buses, tempo travelers, cabs and autos stop to pick up and drop passengers?
2. What if there is a bus breakdown?
3. What if a truck breaks down in the 1.5 vehicle wide main road?

Even after all this, the center lanes between flyovers have are not being utilized and still continue to be used as waste segregation grounds by the BBMP garbage trucks.

I think these will never be answered. I wrote similar queries to guys who were advocating this on Twitter, but no response.
I guess only way now is the offices to open, wreak havoc for a few weeks and then the natural course of action will take place where these would be either removed intentionally or by accident

Also I experienced that entering these bus lanes from service road is too dangerous as visibility is very bad. I was on the service road from Trident Hyundai at ORR-Mahdevapura junction and it took my time to stretch my neck out and look out for oncoming bus before entering the bus lane to get into ORR. Also with bicycle lane which is already read, this is even more complicated and will definitely slow down the traffic. In Covid times this looks ok, but with the volume of traffic that ORR sees, I am doubtful.

Maybe I am sounding pessimistic here, but the underlying infrastructure is not suitable/designed for these bus lanes and the barricades.
There are genuine and legal businesses which requires people and vehicle movement on either side of the roads. Its unfair to say use buses always.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by ashis89

..making this exit a 90-deg turn. While coming, one has to come to a halt, check the bus lane for any bus, check the service lane and then make the turn.

Like already figured out, you missed the exit which was few meters before. I took that today. While the exit path is nicely built and marked, what welcomes you after the exit is not so nice.

Here is that service road:



The guys are freaking out digging every other road as everyone is busy with tackling Covid and there is no one to question all these atrocities. Pretty sure these roads would remain like this forever.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Like already figured out, you missed the exit which was few meters before. I took that today. While the exit path is nicely built and marked, what welcomes you after the exit is not so nice.

I took this road yesterday and was wondering how a sedan would make it through. Especially the stretch on the service road beside the underpass moving towards JSP Kia where the last digging activity has created a 'drain' in the middle of the road. And there comes a point just before the showroom where a manhole cover has sunken deep into the road creating a deep ditch. At this point, either you get into the 'drain' or the 'ditch'!