<p align="justify">The heavy rush of visitors to the Yelahanka air base on the last day of the air show saw massive traffic snarls.<br /><br />Traffic moved at snail’s pace in the morning, all the way from Hebbal flyover to Chikkajala police station, while lack of exit plan choked all roads after the show in the evening.<br /><br />Traffic police started segregating vehicles right from the morning with only VIPs, guests and delegates of the Aero India allowed on Hebbal and Yelahanka flyovers. Other people on their way to the air display viewing area as well as general public were directed to service roads, which were too small to handle the rush of vehicles. <br /><br />Soon, the service roads were choked, following which, the traffic police opened the flyovers for all.The rush of vehicles, together with the time needed to segregate vehicles near the Yelahanka flyover, slowed the traffic and led to jams. <br /><br />DCP (North) Renuka K S, who monitored the situation from Kempapura, noted that the police did their best by deploying additional personnel right from the morning. “The traffic management plan was a detailed one. We opened the six-lane alternative road to the airport, though it is incomplete, to ease traffic on Ballari road. Also, there is no service road in front of the IAF station. With limited infrastructure, there will be problems,” she said.<br /><br />While the sheer number of vehicles overturned the elaborate plans of police in the morning, the absence of an exit plan led to bumper-to-bumper traffic in the evening with commuters spending nearly an hour to pass the stretch of the road in front of the air force station. <br /><br />A senior police officer told DH on condition of anonymity that “rationing the number of vehicles exiting the airbase” according to the carriage capacity of the roads would have solved the problem.<br /><br />When contacted, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R Hithendra said no arrangement can be adequate when the number of vehicles is huge. <br /><br />“More than 2.5 lakh people entered the airbase on the last day, according to the data. All of them wanted to get in between 9 and 11 am. We made detailed plans, but as long as the airshow passes are not limited, it is difficult to handle the traffic,” he said.<br /><br /> </p>
<p align="justify">The heavy rush of visitors to the Yelahanka air base on the last day of the air show saw massive traffic snarls.<br /><br />Traffic moved at snail’s pace in the morning, all the way from Hebbal flyover to Chikkajala police station, while lack of exit plan choked all roads after the show in the evening.<br /><br />Traffic police started segregating vehicles right from the morning with only VIPs, guests and delegates of the Aero India allowed on Hebbal and Yelahanka flyovers. Other people on their way to the air display viewing area as well as general public were directed to service roads, which were too small to handle the rush of vehicles. <br /><br />Soon, the service roads were choked, following which, the traffic police opened the flyovers for all.The rush of vehicles, together with the time needed to segregate vehicles near the Yelahanka flyover, slowed the traffic and led to jams. <br /><br />DCP (North) Renuka K S, who monitored the situation from Kempapura, noted that the police did their best by deploying additional personnel right from the morning. “The traffic management plan was a detailed one. We opened the six-lane alternative road to the airport, though it is incomplete, to ease traffic on Ballari road. Also, there is no service road in front of the IAF station. With limited infrastructure, there will be problems,” she said.<br /><br />While the sheer number of vehicles overturned the elaborate plans of police in the morning, the absence of an exit plan led to bumper-to-bumper traffic in the evening with commuters spending nearly an hour to pass the stretch of the road in front of the air force station. <br /><br />A senior police officer told DH on condition of anonymity that “rationing the number of vehicles exiting the airbase” according to the carriage capacity of the roads would have solved the problem.<br /><br />When contacted, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R Hithendra said no arrangement can be adequate when the number of vehicles is huge. <br /><br />“More than 2.5 lakh people entered the airbase on the last day, according to the data. All of them wanted to get in between 9 and 11 am. We made detailed plans, but as long as the airshow passes are not limited, it is difficult to handle the traffic,” he said.<br /><br /> </p>
