Aero India show: Frustration on ground as huge turnout for dress rehearsal brings traffic to a standstill

Saturday witnessed contrasting shows on the ground and in the air in the city during the full dress rehearsal of the 14th Aero India show, which is scheduled to take wings on Monday.

The nearly 20-km stretch between Bengaluru city to Yelahanka Airforce station witnessed unprecedented traffic snarls as visitors to the rehearsal for the Aero show as well as regular commuters on the route had to wait or inch forward.

Traffic Police sources said the main bottleneck was the stretch between Yelahanka and the Air Force station which was close to seven kilometers.

People stuck in traffic blamed "poor traffic management" and some others wondered "if this is the condition for the rehearsal day, what can we expect when the actual event starts on Monday. Even the PM is coming on Monday, how do we get in."

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Gopi Krishna, a student visitor to the Aero India Show rehearsal said, "I have been waiting for two hours actually. I live only five kilometres from here but I am in the traffic for two hours. I don't know why this is happening. They are not managing the traffic properly."

Even as the aero show began precisely at 9.30 am, visitors were seen waiting in long traffic snarls for about an hour after.

Traffic began to ease later and visitors as well as commuters subsequently made their way to their respective destinations after the peak hour delay.

Senior traffic police officers were not reachable for a comment on the measures taken to ease traffic on the route in the coming days.

The five-day biennial Aero India show starting from Monday 13 here is all set to dazzle the enthusiasts with 807 exhibitors including 109 from abroad who have confirmed their participation at the Air Force Station at Yelahanka. Defence officials said many fighter aircraft and helicopters will perform during the aerospace and defence exhibition, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on.