Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 35 ℃ | Low: 20 ℃ | Partly cloudy sky.
🧐 Did you know? In 1949, the two distinct urban settlements of Bengaluru – the city and the cantonment – merged to form a single urban centre.
🚇 First driverless metro begins testing
Testing for Bengaluru’s first driverless metro on the Namma Metro’s Yellow Line is set to commence on March 7, with the 18.8-km stretch expected to be operational by December 2024.
The details: The Yellow Line, connecting RV Road to Bommasandra, will initially run trains at 15-minute intervals. Despite being driverless, loco pilots will operate the trains initially, with plans to reduce the headway to 90 seconds. BMRCL is conducting 37 tests over four to six months, followed by system integration and safety tests. The line will start with seven trains, including one standby, and aims to increase frequency with additional trains.
- The driverless trains use Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) System technology, featuring advanced safety and monitoring systems.
- The train design is inspired by Karnataka’s icons, including the Lalbagh glass house and the Gandaberunda emblem.
Delayed: The Yellow Line is a crucial corridor connecting Electronics City with South Bengaluru. It has faced delays but is now progressing towards completion. Once operational, it will significantly enhance connectivity and reduce travel time for commuters in the city.
🚰 Water tanker prices capped
In response to soaring private water tanker prices, the Bengaluru Urban district administration has imposed a cap on rates based on capacity and distance, effective immediately.
What’s it about? The new rate card sets the price for 6,000 litres of water within 5km at ₹600, and ₹750 within 10km. For 8,000 litres, the price is ₹700 (within 5km) and ₹850 (within 10km). Larger tankers holding 12,000 litres range from ₹1,000 to ₹1,200, with an additional charge of ₹50 per kilolitre for extra volume. The government’s move aims to alleviate the burden on residents facing exorbitant charges from the tanker cartel, which has been capitalizing on the water scarcity.
- Private operators argue the capped prices are too low considering the operational costs of sourcing water from distant locations.
- The crackdown includes mandatory registration of tankers with the BBMP and seizure of unregistered vehicles, causing supply disruptions.
Admin tanker rates: The district administration has set daily rental rates for tankers attached to BWSSB at ₹5,200 for 6,000-litre capacity and ₹7,100 for 12,000-litre capacity, excluding water. Residents can report water-related issues to BBMP’s helpline 1533 or BWSSB’s helpline 1916. Despite the mandate, only 1,391 out of over 3,500 private tankers have registered with BBMP so far.
🚄 Kalyana Karnataka’s First Vande Bharat Express
Kalyana Karnataka is set to welcome its first Vande Bharat Express, connecting Kalaburagi to KSR Bengaluru, with the inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled for March 12.
The schedule: The train is expected to depart from Kalaburagi at 5.30 am and arrive in KSR Bengaluru at 2 pm, with a return journey starting at 2.30 pm and ending at 11 pm. The service will likely include stops at Raichur, Guntakal, Anantapur, and Dharmavaram, with an estimated chair car seat fare of ₹1,500.
- The train will be maintained in Bengaluru due to a lack of facilities at Kalaburagi station.
- The service aims to provide fast connectivity between Kalyana Karnataka and Bengaluru, appealing to business travelers and IT professionals.
Current status: The current fastest train between the two cities is the Solapur-Hassan Express, which takes 9 hours and 10 minutes to cover 543 km. A new direct train service between Kalaburagi and SMVT Bengaluru is also set to be inaugurated on March 9.
🏍️ E-bike taxi scheme scrapped
The Karnataka government has revoked the Electric Bike Taxi Scheme 2021 due to its misuse and the resulting safety and legal concerns.
What’s it about? The decision follows reports of non-transport bikes being used as taxis, leading to conflicts with auto and taxi drivers and safety threats, particularly to women. The scheme’s withdrawal also addresses issues with tax collection and enforcement by the transport department.
- Over 1,00,000 two-wheelers were operating as bike taxis in Bengaluru.
- Auto and taxi unions had demanded a ban on bike taxi services.
Not much response: Despite the scheme’s intent to promote e-bike taxis for last-mile connectivity and self-employment, the response has been tepid. Only one organisation attempted to operate e-bike taxis, but failed to meet the service requirements. Currently, app-based aggregators like Rapido, Uber, and Ola offer bike taxi services in the city, facing opposition from auto and taxi unions.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Listen to the best of Yuvan Shankar Raaja at his U1’s Long Drive concert this Saturday.
- Laugh out loud with Gurleen Pannu at the Women’s Day Standup Comedy Special show this Saturday.
- Celebrate the potential of youngsters at the Under 25 Summit 2024 this weekend.
- Visit ‘Lost in Bangalore’, an immersive, interactive and experiential art show, this weekend.
- Listen to Marialena Fernandes at the Bangalore School of Music this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I like dancing in the rain: 50.0% 🏆
- I don’t like dancing in the rain: 50.0% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!