Funny vehicle parking! Initiatives funnier!

My roving eye caught some very interesting sights this time which saw indifferent styles of parking areas carved out in the town. All these different parking areas display a totally wrong and illogical thinking of the executors.

Who could have imagined parking a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler on the busy Rajpur Road right at the Dilaram Bazar crossing (next to Water Works Building) in the middle of the road? Sound awkward isn’t it? Yes, it’s true, now two and four wheelers are being freely parked on the crossing in the newly carved out parking area.

It amazes, who are the think-tank who devices such schemes? Certainly these initiatives are funnily innovative and truly out of some junk box! Where on earth is parking done in the middle of a busy road and that to at a crossing?

As if the Dilaram Bazar intersection was too wide that a slice of the road here is now occupied by vehicle in the already congested space.

Imagine how unsafe will be for someone in the first place to slide his car in the so-called parking area along the busy Rajpur Road which has a continuous flow of heavy traffic with an equally congested crossing. Trying to squeeze in the parking along the road will definitely hinder the traffic however good the policing are since the traffic flow far exceeds the breadth of the road. Also chances are of vehicles bumping into each other at the slightest error. 

Upon parking the passengers of the parked vehicle will again throw open another risk for self of crossing the road amidst the busy traffic.

This kind of parking at Dilaram Crossing on Rajpur Road can also lead to serious security issues as the intersection is one of the busiest and important ones where all the VIP, VVIP and senior government functionaries pass through several times a day while on way to the Governor’s House, Chief Minister House, the Circuit House, Survey of India and other important government and private establishments.

The same model of parking carved out at the busy Clock Tower area (along the Sardar Patel Park boundary and footpath). Here too not thinking of the tight road space and heavy traffic flow throughout the day a four-wheeler vehicle parking space created. This is a big nuisance at the place which unfortunately is the heart of the city and anyone coming to Dehradun has to pass through this area. Instead of keeping heavy traffic flow easy without congestions a parking has squeezed the space and turning it into an accident prone zone.

Due to the parking at the Clock Tower a major part of the recently beautified Sardar Patel Park has gone invisible being blocked by parked vehicles. Likewise the footpath created for the pedestrians along the park is now conveniently occupied by beggars and daily wage workers as few pedestrian want to walk through a passage encroached by vehicles and unwelcome occupants. What a mess created by the so-called town planners and administration think-tanks!

Another very funny idea of parking carved out by the administration and/or the police department is the encroachment on the space outside the Exit gate of the GPO opening towards the Digvijay Cinema. Here even more unthinkable idea has been implemented. The GPO Exit gate is now shut and a two-wheeler parking carved here for exclusively women. A woman constable also guards this parking to make sure only women park their two wheelers here.  

One cannot understand how can an “Exit” Gate of a public building like the GPO used by thousands of people daily be blocked or taken over for implementing some stupid idea. God forbid, if there is an emergency how will the people trapped in the GPO compound and building be evacuated from a single gate that too crowded by hawkers and market traffic? Has any body thought of this?

It is equally strange and surprising that the Post Master General whose office is also in the GPO building has not raised his voice against the shutting of their exit gate.

Take the case of the double layered big parking at the MDDA Complex right at Clock Tower which was created to accommodate hundreds of vehicles coming here. This parking is heavily misused. The main aim of this parking was to decongest the road all around the Clock Tower but with the new road side parking the old problem is regenerated.

One witnesses an interesting story here too. While most of the MDDA Complex parking remains full anytime you go simply because some people living in the vicinity and/or the occupants of the Complex have permanently parked their many vehicles 24x7x365 days. Is there no norm to see no permanent stationing of any vehicle allowed at a public parking space? The authorities should at least some time inspect the state of affairs of public property as good governance.

While it is good that the local administration and the police department is thinking of creating added parking space but not in an unsystematic way compromising safety and security. The law should intervene to scrap such unreasonable planning and schemes of the administration in the interest of all. 

Undoubtedly, parking is one of the essential components of development plans of any city but not in the following ways:

1)    Obstruction of traffic (Parking obstructing movement of vehicles on road)

2)    Obstruction of pedestrian movement (Parking in pavements)

3)    Parking in No-parking area/zone (Parking in areas prevented)

4)    Wrongful parking (Parking in a wrongful way, Angular parking in Parallel parking areas)

The indifferent parking areas created in Dehradun mtch all the aforesaid points.

There are many other examples across Dehradun where indifferent parking areas created. The government should take up this issue on an urgent basis to bring things to order otherwise it will only repent if some unexpected happens because of these ridiculous ideas.

Festive Greetings!

Happy Guru Gobind Singh ji Jayanti

and

Merry Christmas!

Incrediable! 175 years of City Board Mussoorie truly a momentous occasion!

Strolling on the Mall on a leisure trip with family on Sunday away and ahead of the usual New Year chaos as a result of the flocking tourists and traffic jams which the Queen of hills - Mussoorie is usually throttled with every year, I came across some attractions cited in this piece.

While there is a joyful humming across Mussoorie anytime you go, I could feel a festive mood among the localities definitely in preparation for the week-long fifth edition of Mussoorie Winterline Carnival 2017 organised by the Uttarakhand government and supported by several public/private organisations and state departments that commenced on December 25. Mussoorie certainly has a unique flavor, whether it’s the locales, its people or the culture each a catalyst that unwind and leave one longing for more. Impressed by the pristine beauty of the place Captain Frederick Young of the East India Company had made this place his home in 1820. The name Mussoorie is often attributed to 'mansoor', a shrub indigenous to the area. The town is often called 'Mansoori' by most Indians.

For those less familiar on what the winter line carnival is all about and why is it organized in Mussoorie, well! The unique phenomenon of nature visible only at Mussoorie in India is the “Winter Line”, the Carnival’s reason.

Winter Line viewed when the setting sun drops behind the imaginary horizon overlooking the Doon valley. The horizon is a mauve and grey coloured strip with yellow and orange line at the upper end of the strip. The myriad colours make for a pretty picture that leaves the spectators spell-bound. The winter line appears for four months from mid October to end of February. It is one of the most captivating sights of the mountainous regions that have a long valley extending beyond them to the south-west. Mussoorie is truly blessed by nature and shares this rare distinction with Switzerland.

To popularize winter line the carnival is organised offering a power packed week-long programme focusing on local artists, culture, folk dance, musical events, gathering of poets, food festival, marathons, nature walk, bird watching trails, games for children, adventure sports, wellness and eco activities, and street plays by local artists. The rustic event in many forms is fast catching up with the tourists. Holding it during Christmas and New Year celebration times gets it a good attendance of visitors.

The writer in front of the poster 

What really caught my attention in Mussoorie was a small banner with a big message placed near the Mahatma Gandhi Chowk. The lone banner invited all to a pictorial exhibition on “175 years of City Board Mussoorie” now a Nagar Palika, the oldest municipal corporation in India. The City Board Mussoorie has been in existence since the eighteenth century, its first Chairman Mr. Fruth Major elected in 1850.

The City Board or Nagar Palika is the urban local body constituted as per the constitutional provisions in the Constitution of India that takes care of the civic amenities, maintenance of public places, registrations and horticulture of the area under jurisdiction.

I felt flabbergasted to see how such a big event going ahead in such an unnoticed way and low-key. This event is big enough and important to go in annuls of the history as one of national significance. I searched on the public domain to find more information of this landmark event but failed to gather any. Why such a lack-luster attitude by the government is a matter of serious pondering.

Show casing some of the rarest photographs of Mussoorie through a pictorial exhibition on 175 years of the Nagar Palika and Mussoorie will undoubtedly be an unmatched display of photography depicting the glimpses of the past and the History of Mussoorie over the ages. This should have been the focal point of the 2017 edition of the carnival properly advertised across the country with proper events lined up and not be a small part of the carnival.

It will be befitting on the 175th anniversary if the government offers separate space in the Town Hall or elsewhere in the hill town to create a permanent museum where the such rare photography collection and documentation of Mussoorie be preserved for public viewing all through the year.

175 years by Mussoorie Nagar Palika is truly a momentous occasion that need solemnization in a better and most dignified and grandeur way at the highest levels of the State to portray to the world the importance India gives to its local civic bodies over the ages. It also jells well with the ongoing Swachh Bharat Abhiyan of the government that aims towards sanitation, clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India's cities, smaller towns, and rural areas.

Viewing the pictorial gallery of some of the rarest photographs of Mussoorie during the 2017 Winterline Carnival will take the visitors to the golden era of the last two centuries of the hill town and unfold the glorious journey of the City Board Mussoorie (Nagar Palika).

A good move, if it works!

The Delhi Government is soon likely to come out with a policy to incentivise people willing to shift from fossil fuels as an energy source to electric (energy) vehicles as per the Transport Minister, Mr Kailash Gahlot.

“Cost of electric buses at Rs 2.75 crore is way too high and unsustainable, I would request the central government for more subsidy along with financial and technical help,” said Mr Gahlot while addressing an International Conference on ‘Electric vehicles: Future road map for India.

He also said that since electric vehicles are all about charging, clarity on power tariff becomes very important for quoting the rates. “I think we should look towards subsidy on the power to be consumed by electric vehicles.”

The transport minister added that it is imperative to bring down cost of electric vehicles to make it affordable and viable for public transport.

He also sought clarity on Union Government's FAME Scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles), a program of incentives offered to EV buyers to help improve adoption and sales.

“Even under the FAME scheme, there are lot of gaps and there is lot of ambiguity, like for instance there is no clarity amid manufacturers when asked whether or not they would qualify in the kilometer scheme,” said the Delhi Transport Minister.

“More clarity in this regard will help us move swiftly,” he added.

Seeking guidance to expedite process of procuring electric buses in Delhi, Mr Gahlot urged the electric vehicle manufacturers to come forward and advise on how to move ahead in this regard. “Delhi government is very keen and more than willing to induct electric buses, we are open to every idea, suggestion which can help us place orders as fast as possible, we are absolutely ready.”

He however said that it is a challenge for Delhi Government to bring in electric buses as the entire infrastructure and ecosystem needs to be created. As such he advised the industry leaders to provide for complete solution instead of just focusing on selling the electric vehicles.

Mr Gahlot further said that while Delhi Government has already given commitment to induct 100 electric buses, it is willing to increase the fleet to 1,000 as soon as possible.

“If we have to really change the entire ecosystem and push this scheme then I wish the central government would have given the liberty to place 1,000 electric buses to each state,” he said.

India's think-tank the NITI Aayog CEO, Mr Amitabh Kant impressed upon the need to bring in better technologies like electric vehicles in India’s automobile and auto component sector to ensure better quality of life for its citizens.

Highlighting the importance of the sector, Mr Kant said that automobile and auto component sector contributes about 7.2 per cent to India’s overall gross domestic product (GDP), creates over 30 million jobs and almost 25 per cent of its total manufacturing is exported abroad.

“So whatever we do we must understand that the role of automobile and auto component sector must continue to grow and expand, to be a job creator, to be a GDP contributor and to play a major role in exports,” added the NITI Aayog CEO.

He said that in the electric vehicular segment, objective is to accelerate the pace while ensuring that India maintains its size and scale, its GDP share, employment share and that is possible only if we are able to produce to size and scale.

“We will continue to support this movement in a very big way, we will continue to support all OEM and Indian manufacturers, we would like major disruptions to take place in India, we would like interoperable charging systems and we would like to support EVs by a vast range of initiatives like lower road taxes and push them and the government will act as a catalyst to support this entire movement so that automobile and auto component sector continues to play a very major and significant role in India’s GDP, job creation as well as exports,” said Mr Kant.

“As a policy framework this cuts across several departments - Ministry of Road Transport, Power, Heavy Industries but we in NITI Aayog will continue to coordinate and drive this movement,” he said further.

“The change is inevitable but we should do it in a manner where we do not disturb combustion vehicle manufacturing, we should do to size and scale which will enable India to become center for manufacturing, battery manufacturing for usage as well as for exports,” he added. “It is possible to do this in India is because our per-capita usage of car is still very low.”