'Key traffic changes at Hebbal Junction will be disastrous'

Two of the new traffic changes at Hebbal Junction will soon turn out to be disastrous, urban mobility activist Sanjeev Dyamannavar has warned.

On Wednesday, the traffic police said vehicles heading towards the city from Yelahanka, Jakkur, Kodigehalli and Kempapura can no longer move on the main road near Manipal Hospitals and Esteem Mall because the crossover points at these two places are closed.

Instead, they have to take the service road, turn left at Hebbal Junction towards KR Puram and move onto the loop to travel towards the city.

Kempapura-bound vehicles from the airport, Devanahalli and Chikkajala should take the service road near Vidyashilp Academy in Yelahanka and then turn left near Esteem Mall. If they go till the end of the flyover, they cannot take the left turn because the crossover point to the service road is blocked.

Dyamannavar slammed the changes, saying the traffic police brought them without understanding the problem, the narrow road and the signal under the Hebbal flyover towards Tumakuru Road.

Stressing that the Hebbal flyover doesn’t have capacity constraints, he said it can be easily decongested by taking the following measures:

1) Add a down-ramp near Baptist Hospital after the railway track. This will give city-bound traffic three lanes.

2) Ban bus parking along the ORR near the Hebbal flyover. They should be parked at bus bays only. After crossing the flyover, buses should not park on the main road. This blocks the traffic.

3) Allow a free left turn below the flyover.

4) Cabs/taxis should not park along the ORR. Build a dedicated bay for them.

5) Traffic police should not collect fines around the flyover.

6) Build good footpaths below the flyover.