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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">In the civic body&#39;s budget for 2014-15, which will be announced on Wednesday, the provision for roads and traffic department is expected to go up by around 62%. The department&#39;s capital provision for last year was INR 1,540 crore and the amount is likely to increase to around INR 2,500 crore.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">In 2013-14, when potholes continued to plague citizens, costing the lives of many, contractors chose not to bid for tenders floated by the BMC and the money stayed unutilized in the coffers. Only INR 370.39 crore was spent from an estimated budget of INR 1,545.48 crore.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">But sources told that one of the crucial reasons for raising the budget this year is the immense pressure to implement a master plan to improve city roads that was submitted to the Bombay high court last year. Following flak from all quarters, the civic body promised to use utility mapping and coordinated placement of underground cables to ensure smoother and pothole-free roads. Planning to work on 1,239 Km stretch this year, the BMC will also use the budgetary provision on a comprehensive traffic mobility plan and appoint a consultant to carry out a survey of all aspects related to traffic, including various modes of transport.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Another new feature in the pipeline is a pilot study that the BMC will conduct to assess pavement condition index, with respect to roughness index, undulation and potholes, which will help in the maintenance of roads.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The budget also proposes to introduce a bottleneck policy to remove snarls at busy junctions; it will be implemented at zonal levels and monitored by respective deputy municipal commissioners. Besides, the fund will be spent on parking policy and trenching policy. A third party audit panel, along with a think tank, wills for the first time check the quality of roads.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Source-On Request</span></span></span></p>