Oath-taking ceremony affects city's traffic

Traffic was affected after the rain stopped one hour before the oath-taking ceremony as the police blocked Police Thimmaiah Circle till the Shantaveri Gopal Gowda Circle, in front of the Vidhana Soudha, on Wednesday around 3.30 pm.

Regular traffic movement was re-directed through the Raj Bhavan Road, inside the Cubbon Park, Nrupathunga Road and Kasturba Road while VVIP and VIP convoys zoomed to the venue from the international airport as well as the HAL airport sides.

Huge traffic jams were witnessed in and around Vidhana Soudha from around 3.30 pm until 6 pm before and after the swearing-in ceremony.

Slow moving traffic was witnessed at junctions like KR Circle, Hudson Circle, Chalukya Circle, Mekhri Circle, Police Thimmaiah Circle, Mint Square, Siddalingiah Circle, and a few other junctions surrounding the Vidhana Soudha.

Traffic on the international airport road and HAL airport road was affected as the police held the traffic at various signals from time to time post-noon for the convoy movement.

While a large number of VVIPs flew into the Kempegowda International Airport and took to the Vidhana Soudha by road, AICC supremo Sonia Gandhi and AICC president Rahul Gandhi arrived at the venue from the HAL airport with their convoy passing through the old airport and Cubbon Road.

The traffic was affected in Central Bengaluru as a large number of supporters of JD(S) and Congress arrived into the city by buses.

Around 3,000 traffic policemen were deployed at various entry points into the city to control vehicle movements coming from other districts.

Leaders get the taste of city's traffic

Delegates and political leaders from various other states had to face the brunt of the city traffic while on their way to Vidhana Saudha for the swearing-in ceremony.

Due to traffic pile-up on the Raj Bhavan Road, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee’s convoy, which was heading towards Vidhana Soudha's west gate, got stuck in the traffic and took a left turn towards Vidhana Soudha's east gate. Mamata got down from her vehicle and walked to the venue from the gate ignoring security protocols.

The convoy of Samajwadi Party president, Akhilesh Yadav, was also stuck in traffic near the Chalukya Circle while he was heading towards the venue. While Yadav managed to reach the venue in time, convoys of other delegates and political leaders were lined up near the Kengal Hanumanthaiah statue.

JD(S) Supremo, Deva Gowda’s, convoy also got stuck in traffic for a while he was on the way from his house to the venue.