In Bengaluru, the land of innovation and startups, could its civic authorities be far behind? Unfortunately for the city's residents, however, innovation in the BBMP often strays into zany and bizarre tangents. Even as outrage regularly erupts over deteriorating civic conditions, it is often a big question if the BBMP's unique solutions improve or degrade the situation further.
Here are the best of the worst ideas of Bengaluru’s civic body:
A goods train to export Bengaluru’s waste
As odd as it sounds, the BBMP had, in January, suggested that a goods train be used to transport the city’s waste to Marikuppam near Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Madhugiri and Tumakuru, where they plan to set up various ‘garbage management plants.’
The plan, that may have been good on paper, had angered the residents of KGF, who took to the streets, demanding the plan be put on the backburner.
Despite the protests, the Palike is mulling over finding other areas to dump the waste, rather than rectifying the issue of the landfills, which are packed to the rafters.
Driverless pod taxis
As Bengaluru’s choked roads continue to be a running joke for most commuters, the BBMP has baffled urban planners once again.
The technologically-challenged Palike, which finds it difficult to keep its website up to date, has come up with a futuristic sci-fi idea to introduce driverless pod taxis in Bengaluru.
The planned taxi network has a carriage capacity of six persons per pod and the BBMP claims that 15,000 people can be transported within one hour.
Experts, however, argue that with a project like the pod taxi, the amount of investment versus the capacity of the system (the number of people who can be carried through a particular point in a certain amount of time) is completely asymmetrical.
Pig-catching tenders
With over 3,000 pigs trotting about the city streets and rummaging about garbage dumps, Bengaluru now has a new problem.
When 110 new villages were added to the Bengaluru limits in 2005, little did the BBMP realise that in addition to the mounting civic issues, they would have to deal with a drove of pigs as well.
As a solution, the Palike floated tenders for catching pigs in 2011. It had no takers. Finally, in 2014, one contractor came forwards and caught 378 pigs and then gave up.
The nexus between the pig breeders and the catchers has rendered the BBMP’s plan futile and the Palike has not yet come up with a plan to get rid of the pigs on the city streets.
Bringing back pay-and-park on roadsides
Crowded with vehicles of all shapes and sizes, there’s little space on Bengaluru’s roads today. But the BBMP believes there’s nothing wrong with parking vehicles on the already choking roads.
The BBMP is planning to reintroduce the ‘pay and park system’ on the city’s roads. Under this system, vehicles can be parked on a designated side of the road.
This system was, however, scrapped in 2005 due to increasing traffic jams in the city.
But now, the municipal body has learnt no lessons and got the government’s nod to reboot the plan.
The reason: Besides boosting revenue, the Palike believes that it will instil ‘discipline’ among motorists.
Tunnel roads to decongest the traffic problem
Although Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George has faced the ire of city residents for proposing to construct tunnel roads in 2017, the Palike was a step ahead and had proposed the idea in 2010.
The idea of the proposal was to decongest Bengaluru’s growing traffic. However, the plan was then put on hold due to feasibility issues. But seven years later, tunnel roads are being mooted as a possible solution once again.
Ban on large dogs in apartments
While many have criticised BBMP for its strange and unfeasible plans of grandeur, the Palike managed to outrage dog lovers.
The BBMP had sent out a set of draft guidelines for approval, putting restrictions on the number and kind of pets people are permitted to keep.
The BBMP’s Animal Husbandry Department has listed a set of dog breeds like German Shepherd, English Mastiffs, Alaskan Malamute, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler, Great Danes and St Bernard as large animals and cannot be kept in apartment buildings.
If implemented, the guidelines also restrict apartment residents from having more than one small-sized pet in their homes.
Apartment-dwellers are the ones most hit by the proposed rules as independent home owners are allowed to have up to three pets.