HSR Citizen FORUM

Attended the Mobility Symposium 2025 organised by @moveinsync_mis. During my address, I highlighted five key aspects essential for improving urban mobility, especially in cities like Bengaluru: 1. Prioritising the movement of people over vehicles, with a strong focus on rail-based public transport. 2. ⁠Just like the PM Gram Sadak Yojana, there should be a National Mission for Urban Road Renewal focusing on footpath and road standardisation. This should include specifications such as size, materials used, and lane widths, with the aim of improving road infrastructure quality in urban areas across the country. 3. ⁠Empowering institutions like BMLTA to coordinate efforts across all relevant agencies to ensure better integration and implementation. 4. ⁠Improving the quality of DPRs, feasibility reports, tender documents, and design plans, which have consistently been inadequate. Planning is often ad hoc, even at the ward level. A dedicated urban transport cadre is necessary to bring professionalism and consistency. 5. ⁠Successful implementation depends on strong city systems and institutions. The absence of an elected local body in Bengaluru is seen in many other cities too. A strong urban local governance body with active citizen participation is much essential for improving liveability in our cities. Urban congestion cannot be solved by addressing traffic alone. It requires a comprehensive approach that incorporates all of the above. Glimpses.