Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way.’ A drive on the City’s roads is enough to vindicate Murphy's law variant, thanks to the authorities whose left hand always ensures that what is done by the right hand is stymied.

For a decade now the City, like its counterparts elsewhere in the world, has embraced a road management
philosophy whose lynchpins are flyovers facilitating speedy drive. Yet, if what is happening on the ground is any indication, these flyovers are only leading Bangaloreans straight into further chaos.

Almost every other completed flyover in the City has now been bottlenecked by bus stands — some official and some impromptu — at entry points, on both sides.

In fact, this phenomenon dogs eight of the 13-odd flyovers in the City. The chaos peak between 8 am and 11 am and 4 pm and 9 pm everyday. The problem is acute on Lingarajpuram, Banaswadi, Anand Rao Circle, K R Puram, Hebbal and Richmond Town flyovers.

With the BMTC and KSRTC buses taking the lead, private operators of buses and mini buses too are the culprits here. “Official stops are not given by BMTC at approaches of flyovers, but drivers will stop due to requests from passengers. When drivers oblige, passengers often misuse it and make it an unofficial stop. This is definitely a bad practice and must be discouraged,” observes Prof M N Sreehari, Traffic Expert and Advisor and Chairman, Engineers and Safety Trainer.

It’s indiscipline

Indiscipline on the part of both passengers and drivers and shoddy planning in terms of the location of these bus stands are cited as prime reasons for this trend. At Hebbal, it’s bad enough that buses stop near the
flyover, there are also buses that overtake those that are at the stop making it impossible for vehicles to move.

K R Puram flyover is a virtual death trap because people request for stops in the middle of the road and at the start of the flyover.

At the beginning of the Lingarajpurm flyover near St Charles school, a huge row of parked buses only means an unending snarl behind, hampering the entry and exit to the flyover itself apart from narrowing the space on the roads.

The delay and why?

The planning and relocation of bus shelters in the City are decided by a committee comprising representatives from the traffic police, BBMP and BMTC departments. After an extensive survey spanning a year, the traffic police say they had suggested the relocation of certain bus shelters in the City.

A year after the proposal, only 15 per cent of the work has been completed, claims a top police officer in the City. “Shifting of each bus stand requires a minimum of Rs 50,000. Lack of funds and inadequate planning are the causes of the delay,” says this officer, who has been part of traffic management and planning in the City.

Also, objections from commuters for relocation of the existing bus stops delays the shifting, he adds.
This officer suggests that separate bus bays be provided exclusively for buses on broad roads.

For this, large tracts of land is required which can be identified and allocated only by the BBMP. He says that unless this is done buses will continue to be the prime cause of traffic jams at flyovers. He favours adequate allocation of funds for bus shelters, signboards containing the bus routes near bus stands and turning down of requests from people for impromptu stops as steps that need to be implemented forthwith.

According to rules prescribed in the Indian Roads Congress, bus stops should not be located within 75 meters to 100 meters of the junctions. Buses may stop 30 meters away from any flyover.

People's problem

People who traverse these stretches every day say it’s hell. “Traffic will not move on the Lingarajpuram flyover because buses stop at the end of the flyover. Schools and hospitals located around add to the congestion.

Moreover, this flyover is too narrow for any overtaking,” says Raju P T, an engineer with Wipro who travels to M G Road everyday.

For Mathew George, a scientist who commutes to his office at Marthahalli avers it's impossible to worm one's way through the umpteen buses that stop at the K R Puram flyover.

Shockingly, BMTC officials say they are unaware of BMTC buses and bus stops posing a problem anywhere in the City. BMTC Managing Director Upendra Tripathy says certain bus stops in the City have been relocated.

He says he will study the problem and collaborate with the BBMP and the police to curb this menace. “We will try and take video footages of buses that stop at flyover and probably suspend the drivers' licences and try and sensitise them on the dangers of such a habit,” he explains.

Dr S Subramanya, Commissioner of BBMP says that it’s the duty of the traffic police to fine bus drivers who stop abruptly just before flyovers and adds that the BBMP is in the process of constructing bus bays at several places in the City.

The work has already begun at Hebbal and on Nrupathunga Road.