Mayhem for motorists

From broken, unlevelled roads and missing footpaths to potholes, Mysore Road has a humdrum of problems.

Though maintenance work is done on this stretch once in a while, there are still cracks and crater-like potholes here. 

For commuters on this road, travelling is a nightmare. “Riding or driving through this stretch is a back-breaking process. The potholes on these roads are as large as your vehicle, and during peak hours, once you are stuck in a pothole, getting out is a challenge,” says Jinu G, a resident of Kommaghatta. 

During rainy season, he says, it is tough for a motorist to pass through this road, especially through the stretch in front of Gopalan Arcade Mall in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. “The road and the potholes are filled with water and can’t be seen clearly increasing the chance of accidents. Also, when the water subsides, silt deposits on the road causing the vehicles to skid,” he says.

The Nayandahalli Flyover work, which has been on for years, has left a lot of construction material around which adds to the woes on Mysore Road. “It’s a scary ride as on a rainy day, the sand flows onto the road and makes a slushy mess.

On a sunny day, the sand dries up and blows into your eye leading to poor visibility,” says Mahantesh G, a software engineer. He says that it’s an impossible stretch to walk on as there is no pavement here. The construction materials on the footpath force the pedestrians to walk on the roads. Call it unplanned infrastructure or negligence of the authorities but the buses that ply on this stretch add to the traffic jam.

 “One can often see buses entering the Satellite Bus Stand on Mysore Road, stopping just diagonally opposite to the stand. There are two roads converging at the point where these buses stop, which blocks the traffic flow from these roads. One can also see traffic cops trying to help ease the block there, but the location of the bus stop should ne changed,” says Suhas S, a first-year MSW student from Kengeri. He adds that there needs to be better planned busstops on this stretch as there is a lot of vehicular movement through the day. Vehicles from areas like Nagarbhavi, Kengeri, Vijayanagar, Rajarajeshwari Nagar etc ply on this road and so vehicular movement is always high on Mysore Road.

 “Therefore the road requires different lanes for the smooth flow of traffic. Though there are three lanes just before one enters the Mysore Road Flyover, one can always see heavy vehicles parked on the extreme left lane. This in turn obstructs free movement,” says Neeraj Kumar, a businessman, from Rajarajeshwari Nagar. 

M Lakshminarayana, Commissioner, BBMP clarifies that the Mysore Road, upto Bangalore University, comes under the BBMP limits, and the rest of the road is under the PWD. “Work is being done on the stretch that comes under the BBMP. Some stretches are being asphalted and the other portions will be taken up right after the monsoons are over,” he states.