No clarity on the streets

For a variety of reasons — the perpetually on-going Metro construction, laying pipes or simply to ease the traffic congestion — many roads in different parts of the City have been converted into one-ways.

This is especially the case in the central portion of the City, where the combination of narrow lanes and heavy traffic load have prompted the authorities to cut the flow of vehicles on several streets by declaring them one-ways. The problem, though, is that these streets aren’t always demarcated properly. Very few of them have signage indicating that traffic is not allowed in a particular direction and a majority of the signs that have been put up are tucked into corners and tough to spot.
Motorists in the City complain that because of this, they often miss out on one-ways, travelling in the wrong direction and adding to the chaos on the streets. Metrolife speaks to a few who agree that there needs to be a better system of signage in
Bangalore.

For those who travel on fixed routes everyday, this isn’t much of a problem because they are well-versed with the streets of that particular area. However, for those from out of town — or motorists who aren’t familiar with a neighbourhood — it can get quite confusing. Sumana, a professional based in Whitefield, rarely visits the central areas of the City. When she does, though, she admits that she gets frustrated by the complicated routes she is forced to take for short distances. “Many of the streets near MG Road have been converted into one-ways but it isn’t always easy to tell which ones they are. If there’s a steady stream of traffic on the road, I get an idea because of the vehicles in front of me. However, it would help if there were clearer signs denoting the direction one is supposed to travel in on a particular road,” she says.

Since the network of one-ways in the City isn’t permanent — roads which have turned one-way because of maintenance work, for instance, remain that way only for a few months — the lack of signage means that those who are familiar with their lay-outs sometimes face problems too. Nithin, an engineering student who has grown up in Bangalore, admits, “I know my way around the City pretty well but despite that, the number of one-ways in Malleswaram confuses me no end. They aren’t well-demarcated and often, I end up being ticked off by a cop or disrupting the flow of traffic before realising I’ve ended up on a one-way,” he shares.  Sudhir Selvaraj, a media producer and entrepreneur, agrees with this view. “This has happened to me tonnes of times, especially in Malleswaram and areas around Chowdaiah Hall. Some portions around Cunningham Road are a mess as well,” he says. He agrees that clearer signage would be helpful in this situation and also suggests that the traffic police make use of their social-networking portals to spread the message of roads that have been converted to one-ways. “I must commend the Bangalore Traffic Police for being proactive on Facebook and the radio. What they can do further is to strategically communicate this message through Facebook — it won’t be a panacea but it would be a great outreach step,” he notes.

According to Sonia, a financial advisor, it would help a lot if newly-converted one-ways were to be monitored by a traffic policeman, at least for a while. “A single cop could make a difference by guiding motorists and keeping a check on the flow of traffic. After a few months, commuters will become familiar with the new lay-out and a clear sign would be enough,” she states.

Sudhir, however, admits that this might not be a feasible idea at all times. “It would phenomenal if more policeman could be stationed but that is slightly impractical, considering limited resources,” he sums up.