Can’t they act faster? Bengaluru citizens ask after one more pothole death

On October 6, Peenya resident and senior citizen K L Vinay wrote to the BBMP regarding the bad condition of the road linking BEL Circle and the Peenya metro station.

The BBMP dealt with Vinay’s complaint in its usual way: Ignoring it.

Also Read: Bengaluru woman injured in pothole accident dies, family demands compensation

Meanwhile, Vinay fractured his knee hitting the same pothole he complained about and has now been advised bed rest for three months.

“Though the BBMP chief commissioner redirected the complaint to the department concerned, no action was taken,” Vinay said. “The stretch is riddled with craters and not well lit. The BBMP shows no urgency in addressing citizens’ grievances.”

The lack of a grievance redressal system remains a source of frustration for many citizens.

Sahaaya app

Commuters raising pothole-related complaints on the BBMP’s Sahaaya app said officials do not act on them.

Also Read: Easy to blame rain, but check work quality: Experts to BBMP

“Our complaints are marked resolved without action on the ground. Instances of officials marking it as long-term and closing the complaints are also common,” a commuters who recently reported a pothole said.

Commuters feel the BBMP’s failure to take timely action has put several lives at risk. Its ‘FixMyStreet’ to mark the status of a pothole is not open to the public.

Senior BBMP officials assure that engineers look into the complaints and resolve them.

“Complaints are sent to the respective divisions and responsibility fixed on engineers, but we are unable to attend to all the complaints due to the rain,” said Ravindra P N, BBMP Special Commissioner (Projects).