Winds of change

What changes are Bengalureans looking forward to in the New Year? Pothole-free roads, better traffic management, effective garbage disposal, more green cover... the list is endless.

Most Bengalureans hope that the New Year will bring in some good cheer. Vijayaraghavan Venugopal, CEO - Aeronutrix Sports is a marathon runner and wishes to see the city transformed into a more runner-friendly one.

"I am sure my fellow runners would agree with me that Bengaluru needs better pavements and cleaner roads to run on. There has been a lot of digging in several parts of the city in the last year. I hope all the infrastructural work that was started would be completed within the stipulated deadline," says Vijay.

Those who work in various IT parks across the City point out that massive traffic jams clog the roads during peak hours. They say that if carpooling is successfully implemented, it will not only ease a lot of congestion but help in reducing the pollution levels.

Kiran Rao, employed with an IT firm in Manyata Tech Park, says that he would like to see carpooling made mandatory by the Bengaluru Traffic Police. "It must be made mandatory for those working in IT companies. This will reduce a lot of vehicles on the road and make for easy movement," he suggests.

Safety of women, especially for those who travel at night, needs to reviewed on an urgent basis, feels Pavithra Vijay. A fitness freak and runner, Pavithra's day starts early and she says that she sometimes dreads running in the wee hours without a male accompanying her. "The fear of somebody stalking me or taking a picture is always there at the back of my mind. If I ever get into trouble I don't know who to call or run to," she says. Pavithra also feels that the roads must be maintained well and the green cover should be increased in the city. Echoing Pavithra's views is Sharmistha Sikdar, a homemaker, who feels that the safety of women is not being given as much importance as it should be.

"One can never get through to the helplines in case of an emergency and the pink Hoysala, that was launched exclusively for women, is not of much help because we hardly see them around," feels Sharmistha. She also hopes that the flow of traffic would be better managed in the coming year.