Bus stops upon IRR

I am resending this figure since I am unable to view this figure in magnified form. In case this re-sent figure also fails to magnify, you can view this and other figures at this site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/docgaruda.somanna/TROFFWEBALBUMFINAL?authkey=Gv1sRgCNr5o4PTk_3KzAE&feat=directlink

TROFF'S FRONT COVER PAGE

Just view this figure enlarged and make your own 'interesting' observations. Happy viewing!

utterly wrong practices in solid waste management

The first eighteen figures in the collage above give a 'picture account' of present day solid waste management. Unless every stage of this activity is modified or removed, as long as this system is encouraged, the city and its surroundings will become increasingly dirtier and dirtier. Troff presents a totally different system of solid waste management in which every citizen has a role to play, a system which can also enlist the city bus services to transport a part of the solid waste that gets generated every day.

MODIFICATIONS TO CITY BUS

This figure depicts the various modifications required to enable the existing city buses to 'comfortably' and safely transport more numbers of commuters who are required to travel standing. Presently city buses are 'super-jam packed' during peak hours with 250 or more commuters being transported under 'worse than hellish conditions'! Of the 250 commuters, only 44 travel seated; the rest of them have to travel under immense inconvenience. Standing erect is impossible; keeping your feet in a comfortable position is impossible...just place each of your feet wherever any space on the floor of the bus is available, you have to twist your body at various levels...at the waist [to avoid being crushed by the college bag being carried by a student beside you], at the neck to allow your 'neighbour' to stretch out his hand and take hold of the rod above. Movements of the bus while turning or changing speeds ad to your pressures...you have to exert every sinew of yours just to maintain your contorted posture. Believe me, I am not exagerating. The suffering and torture involved in traveling [standing] in an overcrowded city bus cannot be described in words...one has to personally experience this agony to understand what I am stating. I have seen a lady who had this complaint of her right shoulder getting dislocated. She told me that it was the first time it happened to her, was very painful, and she had to struggle to shove back her right limb back into the joint. Without her telling me I questioned her whether it occured in a bus. She said yes. This lady is now unable to lift even a pail of water...her limb gets pulled out of her shoulder joint.

This is the punishment commuters who are standing within the bus are being subjected to. In comparison, I feel that the suffering faced by those commuters who stand traveling upon the footboard is nil...they are no doubt traveling in a dangerous way but not in a painful way. If I have no other choice, I would prefer traveling in a painful way rather than in a dangerous way and I would prefer to walk a thousand miles rather than travel for one mile in this painful manner!

Bus travel, Troff or no Troff, has to be immediately rendered safe and comfortable. The modifications to the existing buses as depicted in the figure above along with other proposals given under Troff's document, have it in them the potential to render bus travel safe and comfortable.

ROBS-3: REJUVENATION OF BUS SERVICES, PLAN

This is the smallest but most important of the figures given and it is essential for the reader to read and understand the matter written in the TROFF document regarding this figure.

COLLAGE OF IRR AND RTR ROUTE MAPS

This collage contains vast details of the IRR and the 15 RTR routes. For convenience of study, I have posted individual figures of all of the 8 figures of the collage in view.

IRR

Let me give the earlier write up I have given about the IRR:

CHAPTER I: INNER RING ROAD, BUS ROUTES

The inner ring road [IRR] was only briefly touched upon in the first module. We shall now sharpen our focus upon the IRR. As mentioned earlier, this IRR does not correspond to that being worked upon by the GHMC. It almost closely follows the railway tracks in the centre of the city which connect the railway stations Nampally, Secunderabad and Kacheguda. The figures shown in ROBS-2, 1 to 9 contain details of the IRR. The IRR is depicted as a dark blue line in these figures.

Because of road width constraints, traffic moving in opposite directions along the IRR route has to diverge at certain sections.

Let us now see the route taken by the traffic moving along the IRR in the clockwise fashion.

Starting from Nampally, the traffic proceeds along the Public Garden road towards Lakdi-ka-pul, Khairatabad, Punjagutta, Ameerpet, Begumpet, Shyamlal, Paradise, Patny bus stop and then on to the Secunderabad YMCA junction. There it turns right and then turns left at the clock tower to enter the SD road. At Sangeeth junction it turns right towards Rathfile i.e. Secunderabad station. From Rathfile the traffic proceeds towards Chilakalaguda X roads where it takes a right turn to enter the Boyiguda road and goes along the Mushirabad, Chikadpally

and Narayanaguda main roads to reach the Maheshwari theatre crossroads. There it turns left to enter the Kacheguda station road to reach the Kacheguda Railway station. From there the traffic proceeds towards the Chaderghat crossroads where it travels straight along the Maulvi Aladdin road. Passing through Ranga Mahal it turns left to reach Afzalgunj, passing by the Gowliguda bus depot. From Afzalgunj the traffic reaches the Zambagh crossroads after passing along the Siddiamber Bazaar main road. From here the traffic proceeds along the Nizam Shahi and Mukhram Jahi roads to enter the Public Garden road. Traveling on this road it reaches its starting point...the Nampally station. The ring is now complete for traffic moving in the clockwise direction upon the IRR.

Let us now see how the traffic moves in the anticlockwise direction upon the IRR. Starting from Nampally station, it proceeds towards Mozamjahi Market crossroads where it turns right to enter the Siddiamber Bazaar main road. After reaching Afzalgunj the traffic proceeds towards Chaderghat crossroads passing by Gowliguda bus depot. From there the traffic proceeds towards Maheshwari theatre crossroads after passing through Kacheguda Railway station. Here it turns right and proceeds towards Chikadpally and Mushirabad. Passing beneath the Oliphant tunnel it turns left to reach the Secunderabad station. Here it turns right to reach the clock tower island via St. Mary’s Road. At the clock tower roundabout it turns right and then turns left to reach the YMCA crossroads. At the crossroads it turns left to enter the SP road. It travels along this road to touch Patny, Paradise, Shyamlal, and Begumpet bus stops to reach the Greenlands junction. Here it turns right and proceeds upon this IRR stretch of road to reach Punjagutta crossroads via Ameerpet. At Punjagutta crossroads the traffic proceeds straight towards Khairatabad. From there it goes straight towards the Gurudwara junction, Lakdi-ka-pul. Here it turns left towards Dwaraka Hotel from where it reaches the Ravindra Bharati crossroads. Here it turns right towards the Police Control Office crossroads from where it goes straight towards Nampally station along the Public Garden road. The ring is complete for traffic moving in the anticlockwise direction along the IRR.

From the description given of the routes taken by the traffic traveling in opposite directions upon the IRR, it should be observed that there are three places where these two sections of traffic diverge. The first place of divergence is at Lakdi-ka-pul. ROBS-2, figures 6 and 7 show this place of divergence. The second place where the divergence occurs is between Rathfile junction at Secunderabad station and the roundabout at the clock tower. ROBS-2, fig 3 shows this place of divergence. The third place where the clockwise and anticlockwise traffic diverge from one another is at the Afzalgunj bus stop. ROBS-2, fig 5 shows this place of divergence.

It should be observed that all the routes taken by the traffic moving in either the clockwise or anticlockwise direction upon the IRR are upon existing bus routes, very busy routes at that. It has been pointed out in an earlier article that a huge chunk of city bus routes [? 70%] are centered at Secunderabad railway station. Nampally station also is the originating point for a minor chunk of city bus routes. A few bus routes start out from Kacheguda station. Thus the IRR connects all the three long distance train stations of Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kacheguda. These stations are also MMTS stations. Other MMTS stations such as Lakdi-ka-pul, Khairatabad and Begumpet are also serviced by the IRR. Important educational institutions, government offices, wholesale markets, shopping centers, sports and recreation centers, theatres and spots of tourist interest, all located in the heart of the twin cities, are all serviced by the IRR. Buses plying upon the IRR will definitely not run empty.

This matter has been written for ROBS-2. Some concepts may have been changed at the present moment of time.

RTR 1 and RTR 2 BUS ROUTES

IBT 1 and IBT 2 connect with the IRR with single bus routes RTR1 and RTR 2.

RTR 3A, RTR 3B & RTR 3C BUS ROUTES

IBT 3 connects with the IRR via 3 RTR bus routes, 3A, 3B and 3C.

RTR 4 & RTR 5 BUS ROUTES

Single routes connect IBT 5 and IBT 4 with the IRR. Details can be understood by viewing the enlarged figure.

RTR 7/6 & RTR 6/7 'AIRPORT ROUTES'.

The routes taken by the RTR buses connecting the IBTs 6 and 7 crisscross at the Shamshabad airport. This allows for the airport to get the benefit of two RTR bus services. Route details can be easily understood by studying the magnified figure.

RTR 8 ROUTE

Asingle bus route connects the IBT 8 with the IRR. Route details are evident.

RTR 9A, 9B & 9C ROUTES

IBT 9 connects with the IRR upon 3 RTR routes: RTR 9A, RTR 9B and RTR 9C. The route details should be clear when viewing the enlarged figure.

RTR 10A AND RTR 10B ROUTES

Two RTR routes operate from IBT 10: 10A and 10B. 10A proceeds upon the Narsapur road towards Balanagar crossroads where it turns right and joins the IRR at Ameerpet passing via Kukatpally depot, Bharatnagar, and Erragadda. After doing the clockwise or anticlockwise round of the IRR, the 10A bus returns to IBT via Ameerpet, Erragadda, Kukatpally etc.
starting out from the IBT 10, 10B follows the same route of 10A until Balanagar Crossroads where it turns left and reaches the IRR at Paradise bus stop passing via New Bowenpalli and Tadbund. After making its allotted round of the IRR it returns to the IBT 10 in the reverse direction from Paradise bus stop.

MODEL FEEDER AREA, FEEDER BUS ROUTES, LPCs AND SWM-TRANSFER STATION

Identification of the different feeder areas in the city is a pending work. Getting the help of the locals to understand the concepts involved and asking them help to chalk out feeder bus routes for their areas will greatly simplify matters and ensure that the work proceeds quickly. Allow me to 'paste' the write up of the model feeder area [in ROBS, module-2] which I had written earlier to introducing the concept of utilization of bus services for transportation of goods and solid wastes:

CHAPTER VIII: FEEDER BUS SERVICES

Let me first describe the features of a ‘model’ feeder bus service.

Feeder buses have to operate in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions in the area selected.

Figures 10a and 10b, of ROBS-2 shows the details of the feeder bus services in the feeder area selected. The feeder area selected, which may be called as F 1 feeder area, includes the following areas: SR Nagar, Ameerpet, Kundanbagh, Balkampet and Sanatnagar.

Let us first see the route taken by the feeder buses that travel in the anticlockwise direction. This route [Figure 10a] is depicted by the numbers 1 to 42.

The feeder bus starts from the Umesh Chandra statue at Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar junction [1] and proceeds east along the SR Nagar main road. After passing the SR Nagar Police station on its right, the bus turns right at the T-junction ahead to enter the Balkampet Main road [2]. Going southwards it turns right again to enter the road that goes towards Maithrivanam [3]. When it reaches the Maithrivanam junction, it turns left to rejoin the main road [4]. After reaching the Ameerpet crossroads the bus turns left to enter the Sheesh Mahal road [5]. Proceeding along that road [IRR] it turns left to enter the Balkampet main road [6]. At [7] it turns right to enter the road that leads to the Guru Nanak municipal playground junction [8]. Here it turns right and travels along the Dharam Karan road to reach the Sheesh Mahal road [9]. At Lal Bungalow [10] the bus takes the mild right curve to reach Greenlands junction [11] where it turns left. Traveling along the road adjoining the Greenlands flyover it

reaches the sub-flyover road [12] where it turns right and enters the Kundanbagh road. Proceeding along this road it passes the St. Francis College lane and Needs Dhaba on the left and reaches the Methodist Colony. After getting down the down slope after passing Needs Dhaba, the bus turns left to reach the railway tracks, turns right and follows the tracks for some time before taking another right turn to go back to the Kundanbagh road [13, 14, 15]. Emerging from the Kundanbagh road the bus turns left and proceeds towards the Greenlands junction where it takes a U turn [16] and now proceeds straight towards the Begumpet Railway station [17]. Here it turns left and travels along the road adjoining the rail tracks. Upon reaching Vidyuth Towers, the bus turns left [18] and, after passing United Avenue Apartments, it takes the slight right turn and goes straight up to the Dharam Karan road [19]. Here it turns right and proceeds straight till the road takes a left turn at [20]. At this place, the Nature Cure Hospital will be on the right side. The bus then turns right at [21] and even on this road will be passing with the Nature Cure Hospital to its right. [At the distal end of this road there is a small lane on the right which leads one to the Nature Cure Hospital MMTS railway station.] At [22] the feeder bus turns left to join the Balkampet main road at the Yellamma temple crossroads [23]. From here the bus travels to the Fatehnagar flyover upon which it takes a left turn [24] to reach the Sanatnagar main road. The bus soon leaves the Sanatnagar main road at [25] to reach the Sanatnagar bus station. Passing by that station the bus travels straight to reach the Masjid road [26] where it turns right to enter the lane that leads to the southern side of the Sanatnagar playground [27]. Moving around the western side of this ground the bus turns left at [28] to reach the lane that leads to the Sanatnagar main road. {The MSME [micro, small and medium enterprises] is located on the opposite side of the Sanatnagar main road at this junction.} Turning left at this point [29], the bus travels along the main road and turns turn left at the Victory Café [30]. Traveling south in this lane it takes a right turn at [31] to enter the Hindu Public School road. After passing this school on its left, the bus turns right at [32] and rejoins the Sanatnagar main road [33, 34]. Proceeding west it reaches the Erragadda crossroads [35] where it turns left to enter the Erragadda main road. Upon this road, after passing St. Theresa’s hospital the feeder bus enters the lane proximal to the ESI hospital at [36]. As it goes upon this lane it passes to the right of the KLN Yadav Park and at [37] turns left to enter the BK Guda main road. After passing the BK Guda Park the bus turns right at the crossroads [38] to enter the road that leads to the SR Nagar community hall. Traveling a while upon this road, the bus turns right at [39] and enters the lane proximal to the JUST BAKE bakery shop. In this lane, after passing Goutami Dhamam School, the bus turns right at [40] to enter the Percy’s School lane. At the end of this lane the bus turns left at [41] to enter the Kakatiya Junior College lane and rejoins the Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar main road at the Tuberculosis Hospital [42]. Turning left at this place the bus gets back to the starting point [1] …the Umesh Chandra statue and then commences its next cycle of serving the public along the same route.

It should be observed that this anticlockwise feeder bus route serves mostly the interior locations of the feeder area. Hence it would be apt to call the feeder buses going along the anticlockwise route as inner feeder buses.

Inner feeder buses may be given a light blue external color for identification purposes.

Let me now describe the route to be followed by feeder buses which proceed in the clockwise direction in the service of the public in F-1. Kindly study ROBS-2, fig 10b to follow the description below:

These feeder buses start out from the Sanatnagar bus terminus and proceed towards the Sanatnagar main road where they turn right [1] to reach the Fatehnagar flyover. Upon this tri-road flyover, at [2], they take a left turn and travel straight along the Fatehnagar main road to reach the Balanagar main road [NH 9]. At this junction [3], they turn left to reach the Balanagar crossroads where they turn left [4]. Going along this road they take two left turns [5 & 6] and join the Fatehnagar main road at [7].

[The road just proximal to [6] has a causeway that runs on the bed of a nala that goes to the Hussein Sagar. During the rainy seasons, flooding may render this stretch of road non-motor able. Construction of a bridge over the nala at this place is necessary.]

At the Fatehnagar main road [7] the feeder buses take a right turn and reach the Fatehnagar flyover once again. They travel straight upon this flyover to reach the Yellamma temple crossroads where they turn left at [8] and reach the Nature Cure Hospital bus stop at [9] after doing a right turn. Proceeding to the right of the Nature Cure Hospital, the buses turn left at [10] and turn right at [11] to reach the Dharam Karan road. After passing to the left of Challa Hospital the buses turn left to enter the lane proximal to the Ameerpet High School at [12]. They proceed straight upon this lane to reach the road adjoining the rail tracks at [13]. Turning right they travel towards the Greenlands/Begumpet flyover at [14]. Here they turn right and passing beneath the flyover they reach the Greenlands junction [15] where they do the right turn to reach Lal Bungalow [16]. Here they take the mild left curve and, proceeding to the left of Sheesh Mahal theatre, they reach the Ameerpet crossroads [17]. Turning right at the Ameerpet crossroads the feeder buses proceed straight along the main road passing through the Saradhi Studio crossroads, SR Nagar crossroads and Erragadda crossroads. Passing along the left side of the Bharatnagar flyover the buses reach the Bharatnagar MMTS station [18] and then do the U-turn to come back to the Erragadda crossroads. Here they turn left [19] to enter the Sanatnagar main road and go along this road till they reach [20] the Sanatnagar terminus…their starting point. This cycle gets repeated.

Feeder buses operating in the clockwise direction do so mainly in the outer boundaries of the feeder area and hence may be also called as outer feeder buses.

Giving outer feeder buses a dark green color helps for ready identification.

Smaller sized buses should be planned for such feeder areas where the population density is high and the lanes very narrow. In all other areas it is considered best to have higher capacity buses [44-seater] which can effectively meet the transportation needs of the commuters during peak hours.

Wherever possible, the roads/lanes upon the route taken by the feeder bus in the interiors of the feeder area are made one-way.

All the roads/lanes traversed by the feeder bus in the interiors of the feeder area are to be declared to be under ‘no parking’ category for personal vehicles.

All the feeder bus roads/lanes are carefully maintained, freed from pot holes and ditches. Crudely constructed speed breakers are demolished and vehicle-friendly speed breakers of international specifications alone are constructed wherever needed.

Good street lighting is to be provided upon the feeder route. Fused bulbs are immediately replaced.

Traffic regulations upon the feeder bus routes should be in favor of the feeder buses. Upon 2-way roads feeder buses have the right of way. At smaller intersections located in the interiors of the feeder area, feeder buses are given priority.

[While on this matter, I feel it pertinent to point out two needful traffic regulatory measures which need to be implemented upon the tri-road Fatehnagar flyover. Traffic coming up upon the flyover from Fatehnagar and Sanatnagar should be denied taking a right turn upon the flyover. This measure will greatly reduce the traffic congestion being regularly witnessed at this flyover at the present moment of time. Banning movement of cyclerikshaws upon this flyover during peak hours should also be considered.]

Sounding of horns is prohibited upon feeder roads/lanes.

Traffic speeds should not exceed 20 kmph.

CONNECTIVITY WITH NEIGHBORING FEEDER AREAS:

Where road connectivity between adjacent feeder areas is denied by the presence of rail tracks and lack of level crossings and where flyovers are the only means of road-interconnectivity between the neighboring feeder areas, the outer feeder buses should be sent upon the flyovers to have a brief point of contact with the neighboring feeder area and then return back to their own feeder area.

The F 1 feeder area detailed above has three flyovers that get the road traffic over the rail tracks: Greenlands/Begumpet flyover, Fatehnagar flyover and the Bharatnagar flyover. The F 1 outer feeder buses are however not sent over all these three flyovers but over only one of them: the Fatehnagar flyover. At the two other flyovers, the outer feeder buses from the adjacent feeder areas should be given the task of providing interconnectivity. Outer feeder buses from the Begumpet feeder area should come over the Begumpet flyover and return after having a point of contact in Ameerpet. Likewise, outer feeder buses from the Bharatnagar area should come over the Bharatnagar flyover and return after a point of contact in Erragadda. In feeder areas where the over-rail road flyovers are more than the available adjoining feeder areas, outer feeder buses need to ply over two or more flyovers as the need be.

Planning for the bus stops has to be done keeping the commuters’ convenience in mind. As many bus stops as needed should be provided. Commuters should be able to walk ‘walk able’ distances to get to their bus stops. Inconveniently located bus stops or insufficient numbers of bus stops should not be inhibiting factors for patronage of bus services.

Upon the peripheral boundary of the feeder area, existing bus stops continue as usual. Additional bus stops need to be provided if felt desirable or upon request of the public.

Inter-connectivity between feeder bus services and bus services being run upon RTR and IRRs have to be ensured. Bringing feeder bus services and their bus stops in close proximity with RTR-IRR bus stops/bays will ensure that the feeder area is connected to the rest of the city. Under ROBS, a very high level of connectivity between all parts of the city will be achieved by the feeder, RTR and IRR buses.

Interconnectivity between feeder bus services and rail services has to be provided wherever possible.

Attention is to be given to the Sanatnagar bus terminus. Presently buses from many bus terminals in the city have Sanatnagar as one of their terminating points and many buses pass through this terminus. Under ROBS, only F 1 buses, outer and inner, would be using the services of this place. Available space can be built up to provide maintenance and repairs for the buses, refreshment and toilet facilities for the bus drivers and office space for administrative purposes.

During peak hours feeder buses run non-stop. During the slack hours of the day bus drivers are allowed to have rest at this Sanatnagar terminus where parking of buses will not pose a problem. During nights, buses are not to be totally withdrawn but a minimum level of services has to be extended to the public. Service is 24x7.

With this I feel I should come to the conclusion of this chapter upon feeder bus services. The details of the feeder areas to be developed all over the city needs a lot of time and I feel it should be dealt with in a separate module. I want to make one final observation before closing this chapter. Present day emphasis is upon speed [rapid transit]. This speed is desirable upon the RTR and IRR roads. The heavy flow of traffic upon arterial roads may be likened to the flow of blood in the arteries pumped out forcefully from one’s heart. The speed of blood flow is high so as to reach the target organ on time. Once within the organ, the blood velocity slows down greatly at the capillary level where exchange of gases and liquids take place between the blood and the tissues. The slow flow of blood in the capillaries may be likened to the slow speeds of feeder buses. More importance is given for picking up and dropping of commuters at or near to their originating or destination points. Authorities concerned with providing public transport services need to give as much importance to ‘slow’ feeder services as they give to ‘rapid’ services. Concentrating merely upon ‘rapid’ services results in an imperfect public transportation and will have poor public patronage of the bus services as a consequence.

The above write up belongs to my article ROBS, module 2.

I have not mentioned the role of the feeder bus in this aspect of transporting of solid wastes. One relevant point which remained unmentioned in Troff's document needs to be mentioned: use of the luggage carriers affixed to the bus' top [see last two lines on page 9 of TROFF]. the luggage carriers atop buses could be utilized to transport 'commercial dry waste' i.e. plastic bottles, paper, cardboard, metal etc. from the LPCs [local processing centers] to the end-users directly...a role being shown to be played by the 'other vehicles' in our LPC figure. This adds to the bus' revenue, decreases the numbers of smaller vehicles upon the roads, [reduction in traffic congestion and air pollution levels], enables end-users of commercial waste to get their 'raw materials' at lower transportation costs.

Large sized plastic bags of different colors for identification purposes have to be deployed: this will allow for efficient movement of the goods and also be of an aesthetic value.

IBT: INTEGRATED BUS TERMINAL

I just loved preparing this figure. Hope you like it too!

BUS STOP ON THE IRR

This figure looks difficult to understand, but if care is taken, will be easily understood. Please read the concerned text given in the TROFF document.

I find a difficulty in this image being magnified. Hence I am re-sending this figure.

BUS STOP UPON RTR

This figure can be easily followed by reading the relevant pages in the TROFF document which describes the bus shelters upon the IRR.

TYPES OF QUEUES TO BE PROVIDED AT BUS SHELTERS

I have taken much pain in drawing this figure and would not like you to suffer like pain in trying to understand the above figure. Go ahead if you are really interested. See this figure in higher magnification and be helped with the text given in TROFF document. But if you are not so keen to understand this figure, please quickly depart from this page! adieu!

DROP POINT AND BUS STOP FOR CONTRACT CARRIERS

Buses are given the 'permit' to operate as stage carriers...they can pick up and drop passengers from any stop upon their permitted route and drop them also at any stop on their route. Other vehicles such as autos and taxis are given the permit to operate only as contract carriers... they have to transport a 'group' of passengers from 'one point to another point' only. Contract carriers have no need to be provided with regular stops as stage carriers do.

For the convenience of contract carriers, 'drop points' are provided distal to every bus shelter. Autos and taxis can only drop commuters at that place; they are not allowed to wait there for commuters since they will be an obstruction to the flow of traffic. They are provided special stands at interior 'tertiary by-lanes' or at by-roads.

Provision is made for private buses of schools, colleges, factories and offices to stop at the bus stop distal to the 'drop point'. These buses are allowed both to drop and pick up commuters. Queue system [6-queue] is provided at this bus stop as well.

[The above figure has not been included in the TROFF document]

Vehicular traffic regulation at intersections, priority for public bus

Please read the matter given on page 23 of the document TROFF for the description of the above figure. The movements of the pedestrians at the intersection is a complex one and I hope to deal with that matter in a separate article.

LANE DISCIPLINE AND ONE-WAY 5-STAGE ZEBRA CROSSINGS

One of the main reasons for allowing vehicles to move 'as they please' upon the roads in a multi-traffic is this: inability to decide upon the way to enforce lane discipline upon them...which vehicle has to go in which lane. Another important 'obstacle' in enforcing lane discipline has been this: the 'disturbance' created by the movement of public buses while they move towards or away from the bus stops located upon the sidewalks.

In the figure above I have given the manner in which vehicles have to observe lane discipline. Having 2-wheelers occupying the medial lanes would raise a few eyebrows. I see it in this way: firstly, some class or other of vehicles have to occupy this lane; secondly, 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers are the most suitable vehicles to occupy this lane since they are smaller in size and highly manoeuvrable. Given proper care and consideration, these vehicles an easily occupy their medial lane once they enter the main road traffic from the by-lane or by-road. Also, when they have to leave the medial lane, they are better equipped than other vehicles to weave through the traffic and reach the lateral section of the roads. The rest of the traffic has to give priority to these vehicles by slowing down for them when they are in the act of entering or departing from their medial lane.

Another advantage which 2-wheeler motorists will have while moving in the medial lane would be this: they will be in the 'central field of vision' of the drivers of buses, cars and other vehicles traveling in the central lane. Being in such a favorable position, they are less likely to be 'hit from behind' by other vehicles. These safety features will be operational only when the various road users stick to their lanes while moving on the roads.

Granting the central lane for the plying of the public bus along with other motorized vehicles [4-wheelers and above] will ensure that the bus, while moving laterally towards the sidewalk stops or while moving medially away from the bus stops, will cause the least 'disturbance' to the rest of the motorized traffic. The 'intrusion' of the bus into their lane will certainly 'disturb' the non motorized section of traffic who are asked to keep to the lateral lane. But these 'slow moving' folks have silently suffered all this while the many insults being heaped upon them by the callous movements of the faster lot. I am sure that these folks will not grudge the need for the public bus to occupy briefly 'their' lane at the bus stops. Bus drivers on their part should exercise the greatest care to give these humble folks their due respect while entering or departing from their lane. I for one, will not protest if all motorized vehicles, buses included, are banned from using the roads! Any vehicle that consumes away oxygen from the air is also an environmentally unfriendly vehicle.

The figure above also contains something very essential for all pedestrians: safer road crossings. With Hyderabad roads having been widened very greatly in many areas, the motorized traffic speeds ahead in a 'stampede' type of movement...no lane discipline, no rules followed while overtaking, no regard for the other road users whether they be motorized vehicle users, non motorized vehicle users or 'plain' pedestrians; no slowing down, no braking at all, zooming, zooming and zooming. Attempting to cross the road through such a traffic is a daunting task for the pedestrian. This is a daily concern. For many, this act, has become their 'last act' on earth. Even while you are reading this line, at some place upon the Indian roads, some fellow countryman is breathing his last breath...struck by a speeding vehicle while crossing the road. Should we not be concerned?

Foot overbridges have been constructed at great expense at few places, but for various reasons public foolishly prefer to cross the roads directly rather than use them. Having such FOB at each and every place where needed is expensive on one hand and useless on the other because of the reluctance of the pedestrians to use them. Subways have been constructed; but public prefer to shun them too.
I feel the reason the public are not using these facilities is this: they want the shortest and easiest route possible and do not want to walk up or down the stairs and walk the longer distances involved in using FOBs or subways. However, the main reason why people are still crossing the raods wherever they want to is this: there are no FOBs, subways or regulated zebra crossings in almost all areas of the city.

Keeping the 'desires' of pedestrians in mind, keeping the need for providing safer road crossings at lesser expenditures, I propose the provision of what I term as paired 'one-way', 5-staged zebra crossings. The figure above shows the requirements of such zebra crossings. Because the vehicular traffic is FORCED to adhere to lane discipline at these places on account of the lane dividers provided, pedestrians are given the option of crossing the road in stages. Including the road divider with the other four lane dividers, there are five places where the pedestrian can safely halt before getting a 'safe gap' in the traffic to cross over to the next stage. Such zebra crossings will have the efect of taming the traffic and force them to switch over from 'stampede mode of driving' to a 'saner and responsible mode' of driving. When the traffic is thus subdued, crossing of the roads will become safer and deaths of pedestrians in road-crossing acts will be history.

To ensure that pedestrians cross the road only at these zebra crossings and no where else, the median road divider has to be of such a height that it cannot be scaled.

closing gaps in median during peak hours

This figure has not been given in the Troff document. Closing the gaps in the median during the peak traffic hours will allow the speedy and smooth movements of vehicles during this important rush hours.

RTR buses will not be affected by the closure of these gaps. Feeder buses may get affected and hence, in planning of the feeder routes care should be taken that they have no need to use these gaps.

This feature will indirectly work for the promotion of public bus services. Surely, it is high time that people stop TALKING about pollution and first start reducing use of personal vehicles and BE people who are not guilty of polluting the environment!

OPENING OF GAPS IN THE MEDIAN DURING NON PEAK HOURS

In the figure above I have shown how the uni-jointed barricades are shifted to the side to allow traffic to do the U-turn during non peak hours. The ALO or the TRO at that place are to be given charge of opening and closing of these barricades. When the gaps are opened, the smaller segment of the barricade is moved laterally as depicted in the figure. This is a helpful feature for regulating the traffic flow: the short segment helps to deflect the flow of oncoming traffic away from the gap in the median and thus enable the U-turning traffic to easily join the traffic stream of the opposite side.