AURANGABAD: Activists of the Mundha Naka Uddanpul Virodhi Nagri Kruti Samiti on Wednesday staged demonstrations against the proposed construction of a flyover at the Mundha naka on Jalna road by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

A bandh was also observed by shops in the area till noon, as directed by the activists. Samiti president – Jitendra Motwani said that a proposal for the flyover was made considering the traffic conditions in 2005-06. However, in lieu of the present situation, activists demanded that the flyover, which is being planned from Amarpreet chowk to Akashwani square in the Mundha naka area, be reconsidered.”The major traffic flow from the main market area towards the Satara and Beed bypass area flows from this road and will eventually increase,” Motwani said.Activists also demanded that a fresh survey be conducted. Motwani said that businesses would also suffer by the traffic diversion leading to inaccessibility of retail outlets and gradually affect employment in the area.

The Samiti members suggested that the underpass should be constructed as an alternative route. “The map drawn does not look feasible for the Rs 17 crore project,” Motwani said.

Aurangabad: Activists of Mundha Naka Uddanpul Virodhi Nagri Kruti Samiti on Wednesday staged protests against the proposed construction of flyover at Mundha naka on Jalna road by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited.

The activists also observed a bandh for the shops in the area till noon.
Jitendra Motwani president of the Samiti said that a proposal for the flyover was made considering the traffic conditions in 2005-06. However, considering the present situation the activists demanded that the flyover be considered from Amarpreet chowk to Akashwani square, which lie prior and later to the Mundha naka.
“The major traffic flow from main market area towards satara and Beed by pass area flows from this road and would increase eventually, “Motwani said.

The activists further demanded that a fresh survey be conducted in this regard. Motwani said that the business would also be affected due to diversion of traffic leading to inaccessibility of retail outlet, gradually affecting employment also.

The members also suggested an underpass to be constructed as an alternative way. “The map drawn also points many technical aspects which do not look feasible for the Rs 17 crore project, “Motwani said.

And this is one battle that needs our combined attention. We cannot lose the space to walk and cycle. Since my accident, relatives and friends have berated me for being so reckless as to cycle on Delhi’s roads. They are right. We have built city roads only for cars to move. Cars rule the road. There are no dedicated lanes for cycles; there are no sidewalks. The little stretches that do exist are either dirty or taken over by parked cars. Roads are for cars. The rest don’t matter.

But cycling and walking are difficult not just because of poor planning. It is also because of the mindset that only those who move in a car have status and road rights. Anyone who walks or cycles is considered poor, wretched and destined to be marginalised, if not obliterated.

This is what must change. We have no option but to reinvent mobility, as I keep repeating. Toxic smog in Delhi recently reached a new peak. Last month, the World Health Organisation declared air pollutants a human carcinogen. We must realise that this pollution is not acceptable. It is killing us, and no longer softly or slowly. But if we are serious about combatting air pollution, we have no option but to think about restraining the growth of cars. Learn how to move people, not cars.

When the Centre for Science and Environment began its campaign against air pollution in the mid-1990s, it did everything conventional. It pushed to improve the quality of fuel; improve emission standards of vehicles; and to put the inspection and maintenance systems for checking tailpipe emissions in place. It also pushed a leapfrog solution: the transition to compressed natural gas (CNG) for grossly polluting vehicles such as diesel buses and two-stroke autorickshaws. That made a difference. There is no doubt that the quality of air would have been even worse, even more deadly, without these steps.

But this is not good enough. Pollution levels are rising again, inexorably and inevitably. All research points to one cause and one big solution: building transport systems differently. We also have the option of doing this. We still haven’t motorised; nor have we built every flyover or four-lane road. Most importantly, much of India still takes the bus, walks or cycles – in many cites as much as 20 per cent of the population bikes. We do this because we are poor. Now the challenge is to reinvent city planning so that we can do this as we become rich.

For the past few years, this is exactly what we have been working on – how to bring back integrated and safe public transport options to our cites, so that even if we own a car, we don’t have to drive it.

But the keyword is integration. We can build a metro or get new buses, but if we do not have last-mile connectivity, then it will still not work. It has to be seamless and effortless. This is why we need to think differently.

This is where we are failing. Today there is talk of transport, cycling and pedestrians’ needs. But it is empty talk. Every time there is an attempt to convert a part of the road into a cycle track, the proposal is virulently opposed. The argument is that it cannot be done because it will take away space from cars and will add to congestion. But that is exactly what we need to do – reduce lanes for cars and add space for buses, cycles and pedestrians. This is the only way to get out of the ever-growing car bulge on roads.

This takes courage of conviction. On our overcrowded and chaotic roads, planning for cycle tracks and keeping sidewalks clean and clear will take lots of effort. I have absolutely no illusions that this will be easy to plan or to implement. But why should that deter us? The rest of the world has learnt successfully to rework road space so that it provides dignity and accessibility to cyclists and pedestrians. It has learnt to restrict space for cars and yet build extremely liveable cites.

Just think of the double bonus: getting rid of the most noxious source of pollution will result in clean air; and having the option to get some exercise while commuting will mean healthy bodies.

This is what we have to fight for. And we will. I hope all of you will join us in making the right to cycle and walk with safety non-negotiable.

PS: To the strangers who took me to the hospital and to the extraordinary doctors at the AIIMS trauma centre who saved my life, thank you.

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Source-http://www.business-standard.com