On the path of collision

Everyone who owns a vehicle dreads the monstrous peak-hour traffic near the Hebbal flyover. The line stretches on like taffy as drivers wait impatiently for the vehicle in front of them to move.

Motorists take every chance they can to weasel their way through the static traffic.
 
In the evenings, the flyover is packed like a can of sardines and there is hardly space for pedestrians to cross. Purshotham, who lives with his family alongside the lake, says that it’s dangerous for people to cross the road when the road is blocked.

He says that it gets blocked frequently in the evening but gets really bad when it rains.

A few months ago, the two-lane flyover that leads to the airport was made into a three-lane road. While this was an improvement to the surging traffic, the bad city planning has incurred the wrath of the citizens.

“There are two roads that lead in the same direction and they have a divider in between. It doesn’t make any sense at all.

Also, the road is constructed is such a shoddy manner that it looks like it is going to break down any moment.

The government must have spent crores on this flyover but in the end, substandard material would have been used because of corrupt officials,” says Suhas Jadhav, a student of MS Ramaiah College of Engineering, who travels on the flyover frequently.  The new lane is also a hazard because it is on a direct collision course with the road below.

“We see many accidents everyday between these two roads,” says Purshotham. Suhas says that he feels like cringing each time he sees a bus hurtling at top speed from the flyover, right into a two-wheeler from the bottom lane.  

The flyover was constructed in 2002 and while officials didn’t expect the incoming traffic comprising airport-goers, nothing has been done until now to rectify the
situation.

“There is traffic pouring into a two-lane road from areas like Devanahalli, Yelahanka, Nagavara and BEL Road. What can police do if it gets so jammed?” asks Parmesh, an assistant sub-inspector. He says they have written to all the possible authorities but to no avail. 

According to constable Gangarajaiah, the Bellary Road and Jayamahal Road traffic is unbearable. He says that sometimes they have to be liberal about the rules, otherwise people will never get where they want to.

“They should build another lane and make the other side a three-lane road as well. This will be very helpful to us,” says Parmesh. 

B Dayananda, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) says that the elevations from Windsor junction to Hebbal have helped ease the traffic a bit but they are planning to build more flyovers on that road in the coming years. “Until then, people will have to manage and we will have to work with the existing staff,” he says. 

Although there are plans to widen the national highway further, it will be of no use if the flyover connecting it to the City has just two lanes and can’t handle that surge.