Plans to decongest City awaiting Govt nod, say police

As the density of population in the City is increasing so are the number of vehicles plying on the road. Congested roads are a common sight not only during peak hours but also during regular time. 

Despite recommendations sent to the government by the traffic department about decongestion of some major traffic bottlenecks in the City, nothing has been done. 

Traffic bottleneck

Additional Commissioner of Police Dayanand said, “We have identified certain junctions as dense traffic bottleneck: Hebbal flyover to High Ground junction, Silkboard Junction to Jayadeva Hospital, Diary Circle to Bannerghatta Road, Hudson Circle, K R circle, NGEF Junction and Big Bazaar Road (Old Madras Road) to K R Puram flyover.”

He also said: “This proposal has been pending from past few months, so we are now planning to conduct talks with civic bodies in the City. Widening of roads or constructing an elevated flyover or underpass, installing of magicbox and various other ways can be used to decongest traffic. But we should plan which junction needs what.”

The City has been witnessing regular traffic snarls even on weekends, a City veteran Munirathna said: “A decade ago during weekends the road would be almost empty but now things have changed even on weekends there is heavy density of traffic. Many intersections and arterial roads are operating above their capacity. The average speed in less than 20 km per hour.”

People complain about traffic jams but no one is ready to lend a helping hand to reduce traffic like car-pooling. 

It is said that using public transport would reduce traffic but looking at the problems faced by travelling in the bus, no one would like to opt for it, said a freelance writer Ainsley G. Another traffic official said construction works of flyovers and underpass are progressing at a slow pace including metro work. If these works are completed on time then the traffic department can think of other ways to regularise traffic.