The seemingly impossible has happened recently. Traffic flow has improved significantly in Bangalore at the Hebbal Flyover (HF), which is the northern gateway to the city. At this location, the city’s major and only Ring Road intersects National Highway 7 (NH7), which connects Kashmir with Kanyakumari, which passes through the city.
All traffic to and from Bangalore and everywhere north of the city and to the rest of the country – from Kempe Gowda International Airport, the city’s northern suburbs, nearby cities like Chikkaballabur, Anantapur and their hinterlands to Hyderabad, Nagpur until. Bhopal and Delhi – pass through that flyover. The cross-cutting Ring Road has its own heavy traffic.
I do not know the number of increase in traffic density of the flyover in the last 10 years, but I have been driving on it regularly since 2006; I’ve recently seen a spiraling mess. After the opening of the current airport in June 2008, there was a steady increase in traffic. A few years ago, suburbs leading to the airport attracted the attention of property developers, leading to explosive growth that continues unabated. Before 2008, it took me less than a minute to cross the flyover by car at 8 am. By October 2022 it was taking about 20 minutes in the same amount of time. Now it takes 2-5 minutes.
How has this improvement happened in a matter of weeks without any new road loops or underpasses?
Wise and considerate traffic management. A part of the traffic coming from the north has been diverted to the second loop of the flyover; Truck traffic is blocked for two hours during peak traffic times; Buses are not allowed to stop anywhere other than the designated bus stop; And some other smaller measures have significantly reduced congestion without changing infrastructure. Basically, how to sort out the mess is considered within the same constrained capacity. Adding capacity will take a few years. Meanwhile, thoughtful solutions have brought significant change for the better.
Improving traffic in the city is not just on the Hebbal flyover; While it is most dramatic there, it is noticeable in other parts as well. This seems to have happened because the state administration, right from the top, commits itself and takes action to address the global infamy of city traffic. Appointing competent executives in relevant roles, for example, and giving them a clear mandate, empowers them and sends the message to all stakeholders that they are committed to reform. Thereafter, the officers went about their work with promptness and method.
Of course all this could have been done any time in the last 10 years, but it did not happen. Also, such actions are not a substitute for good public transport and high-quality infrastructure, which need to be well planned from the outset to prevent such problems. But this story also demonstrates that no matter what your obstacles, a commitment to improve and follow through on actions can make a difference. This basic principle applies to almost all situations in public systems or other types of organizations.
Let us take the example of education. The National Education Policy 2020 has laid out the roadmap for substantial reforms in our education system. However, we know that the implementation of the policy will take years and will inevitably be complicated. But significant improvements in education can happen without waiting for all of these policy changes to appear.
This can be seen everyday in thousands of government schools in remote areas, where highly motivated teachers are working within the same set of constraints and limited resources, ensuring that their students learn everything they need to. should learn. In the microcosm of the school, a busy and capable teacher is often enough to overcome all kinds of obstacles – poor quality books, insufficient classroom space, misguided instructions from higher authorities, lack of resources in students’ homes, and much more. It is not that the country should leave these teachers without support to deal with all these hurdles alone. But these realities of today will slowly change with time. Meanwhile, each individual’s actions can create improvements in his or her own immediate area.
If we look at the teacher and his role as a special case, this is equally true at every level within the education system. There is a sharp variation in the quality of schools across blocks or talukas. This is the result of a competent Block Education Officer playing his role well, facing the same constraints as the neighboring blocks.
In the last 20 years, we would have worked with more than 100 principal secretaries of education in different states. There have been at least 10 who during their tenure ensured that significant reforms took place. Another 10 to 20 tried and did a reasonable job. And they all worked within the same set of political compulsions, lack of funds and poor governance cultures.
Thoughtful action and problem-solving within existing constraints can make a meaningful difference not only in the field of public administration, or the social sector, but in entire organizations ranging from business to research.
We need to make deep structural changes in almost all aspects of our society, but we should not underestimate the relevance and necessity of our trying to improve whatever we can within our sphere of influence.
Anurag Behar is the CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation.
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