Thursday, 1 May 2008

Bengaluru unplugged.. absurdity at the peak!!

Initially, i thought matters like these were too trivial to even bring up a discussion forum about it. The headlines of today's edition of TOI proved me wrong.

There have been various suggestions, criticisms, little extolment about the various factors taken into consideration about improving the connectivity to the new international airport at Bangalore. For starters, (though the people around the world are aware), Bangalore, now Bengaluru, started the construction of an International Airport, in the north of the city, which is supposedly ready but, hasn't started commercial flight operations yet.

Connectivity has been a major issue since the BIA hit the headlines, because the airport is pretty far from the city. However, the municipality swung into action and decided they would do something better than what already is. Bingo. Magic box underpasses came along, with one operating already, along the road to the airport. It was delayed, the municipality was lashed. 

I strongly felt and still feel, that the series of underpasses that have been planned would do a real magic, but who has the patience these days? We fail to realise that to get something, we need to sacrifice few things.

Anyways, the main HEADLINE that instigated me to write this blog was the reaction to the other airport in Bangalore, which is already operational. People wanted the other airport to be used for domestic flights, and the new one for international flights ONLY. Ok. This looks nice. It is a nice proposition. What followed, doesn't.

The central ministry gave a nod for this after a lot of dilly-dallying because of some contractual obligations. Only today I read in the paper that a certain section of people feel that 70% of domestic flights should operate via the old airport and 30% of it should operate via the new one. Why? Because it is difficult for people of North Bangalore to travel all the way to the old airport, for a domestic flight. Similarly, isn't it difficult for people of South Bangalore to travel all the way to north for a flight, that is say, individual of the 30% selected? This seems intolerably outrageous to me. Why don't they insist the government to provide them with helipads and airstrips on top of their houses? Could serve the purpose.

There is something being done for the betterment of people and all over, there is someone trying to pull it down. This sheer display of absurdity, in due course of time would only complicate the process and confuse the people. Didn't the people from North Bangalore have to travel all the way to the old airport when the new one wasn't done? All cribbing is only because one has a choice.

PATHETIC is all I can say about the proposal, and i'll see what I can say when some decision is made, now that more woes add to the melee.