Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌧️ Today’s weather: Thunderstorms will turn into light rain showers today.
🧐 Did you know? Avarebele Mela is an annual food festival organised between January 5 and 9. Avarebele is the Kannada name for the hyacinth bean which is grown in Karnataka during the winter.
🎸 TAAQ’s new album
Inclusivity champions TAAQ talk about their mission before the release of their new album.
Story so far: Bengaluru is a melting point of cultures, religions, and languages that makes it worth singing about. That’s what Rajeev Rajagopal of Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ) believes. After recently having opened for Jason Derulo at RCB Unbox, the band is now on the brink of launching their new and ninth album.
- In 2022, TAAQ released “What World,” a single about entering the world after leaving the pandemic behind.
- They sing about the city – Brigade Road, rickshaw rides and street food – in English, to make the rest of the world groove to the hymns and rhythms of Bengaluru.
Message to the world: The band wants to capture and showcase India’s unique modernity. Inclusivity is central to their performances wherein they sometimes invite traditional flautists and amateur guitar players, or in their lyrics.
👮 Cybercrimes & traffic management
New Police Commissioner Dayananda prioritises traffic management and cybercrimes for the department.
Story so far: On Tuesday, we wrote about Bengaluru’s new police commissioner’s credentials and interests. On Wednesday, Commissioner B Dayananda pointed to traffic management and cybercrime as his top priorities. Succeeding outgoing commissioner C H Pratap Reddy, Dayananda wants to maintain the public’s trust in the Bangalore City Police.
- Under his leadership, the department will assess the pros and cons of the towing system so that the government can decide if it needs to be revived.
- Since he wants to streamline traffic, the commissioner will coordinate traffic management with the city’s civic bodies.
Novel solutions: Dayananda identified cybercrime as a principal hurdle, with the city reporting over 4,000 such crimes annually. Adequate training at the police station level will relieve some of the cybercrime units’ accumulated burden.
🚆 Bengaluru airport trains cancelled
Trains from the city to the airport were cancelled for over two weeks due to poor occupancy.
What it’s about? South Western Railways (SWR) announced that ten trains to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) from diverse stations in Bengaluru are cancelled. These include 06531 KSR Bengaluru City – Devanahalli, 06533 Devanahalli – Yelahanka, 06534 Yelahanka – KIA, 06535 Devanahalli – Bengaluru Cantonment, and others.
- The trains will be inactive between June 1 to 3, June 5 to 10, and June 12 to 17.
- Citing low occupancy, the SWR has also cancelled other rail services like the Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMU).
Why it matters? The trains were introduced to increase connectivity and, more importantly, make travel affordable from the city to the airport. The average capacity of the trains was reportedly only 4%.
🚏 Poorly lit bus stands
Bengaluru’s poorly lit bus stands are a risk for night-time travellers.
Story so far: People board buses at all times of the day. When it’s daylight, one finds comfort in the knowledge of having bystanders around. But there’s no comfort with the setting sun and thinning crowds. A frequent traveller of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) experience in the dark has seeped in fears of unsafety.
- The founder and Convenor of the Citizens For Citizens (C4C) argued that trouble is poorly lit bus stands. They have been urging the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike to install lights at the Cunningham Road bus stand for six months.
- Urgently installing emergency or panic buttons is crucial. This technological advancement can enable quick assistance from the nearest Hoysala in case of danger.
Official talk: Heeding citizens’ advice, the BMTC plans to install panic buttons in a few months. Officials say they are monitoring the situation via CCTV cameras and will work towards public safety.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Tired of swiping? Show up at SmallWorld’s speed dating event on Saturday.
- Brace yourself for a festival of science by ParamCON this weekend.
- Immerse yourself in India’s rich musical heritage at the Indian Music Experience Museum.
- Practice Kalarippayat, a dynamic form of meditation to understand your body.
- Laugh with no breaks at Urooj Ashfaq’s ‘Oh No,’ a standup comedy show on Sunday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I’ve used a Blackberry device: 33.3%
- I haven’t used a Blackberry device: 66.7% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!