War Footing Required On Roads

The news today is that the Karnataka government has finally given the nod for the Bangalore-Mysore Expressway – the famous infrastructure corridor being built by a private firm, NICE.

I recall the day in early 1998, when this project was much in the news, that the British transport economist, author of Street Smart (see my review of this important book here), Gabriel Roth, visited India as a consultant to the project. I had my first occasion to meet him then.

10 years have gone by.

The road is still being ‘cleared’ by the government.

Actually, even the prestigious Golden Quadrilateral government project is heavily delayed. It will take many more years to be completed. Read the disappointing report on its progress here.

In my book, roads in India should be built on a WAR FOOTING.

Vital urgency must be injected into road construction all over India because the automobile revolution is already upon us.

If India does not build roads and attend to matters like traffic management, she will suffer greatly.

Every one of India’s cities (including Bangalore) is experiencing traffic grid-lock on the streets.

Yet, there is abundant land.

The shortage is not of land, the excess is not of population – the only real shortage is of roads, a government monopoly.

Something must be done – and fast.