It is common knowledge that M G Road, Brigade Road and Commercial Street get choked with vehicles during weekends. However, since Saturday, the situation has worsened. 

As per the prior announcement, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation began road  works from Cauvery Emporium to Trinity Circle on M G Road on Saturday morning. This part of the road was barricaded, leaving little space for movement of vehicles, resulting in traffic jam on Brigade Road and Commercial Street. 

This situation was exploited by some autorickshaw drivers who  demanded excess fare. Police, however, maintained everything was normal. “Traffic jams are common during weekends on  M G Road.

The barricading has not had too much of an effect on traffic flow. Customers can make use of pre-paid auto counters to avoid problems created by auto drivers. The only solution to minimise traffic congestion is to ban  parking of two wheelers and four wheelers on M G Road,” said a traffic police.

V Madhu, Managing Director of BMRC, said, “The work on M G Road will be completed in around 10 months. The barricades will remain till then.”

“Restrictions on movement of buses on M G Road and diversions will remain in place till the project work is completed,” said Dastagir Sherieff, BMTC Chief Traffic Manager (Operations).

Scene elsewhere

Traffic flow was also disrupted on Lal Bagh Road and J C Road because of huge crowds visiting Lal Bagh for the flower show.

Vehicular movement was affected throughout the evening and police looked helpless as they tried to curb traffic jams.