Commuting at a snail's pace

The Old Airport Road has unending problems like lack of proper street lights and non motorable roads to name a few. The situation has remained so for sometime now. Even if some parts of the road are repaired, with the rains, they are back to their deplorable condition.

Citizens like Hema Dhawan, a content manager, believes that this is one of the many places in Bangalore which continues to remain in a terrible condition. “In the mornings, it is easy to get hassled when there are so many potholes on just one road. The potholes add to traffic jams as well as extend one’s time spent on the road,” says Hema.

“This especially affects those who have to travel from Whitefield to Domlur everyday as the condition of the road is worse on that side,” she adds. The parts or patches that were repaired on this stretch are broken again. “When there is a smooth road, it’s normal for a motorist to increase the speed but suddenly he or she has to slow down because of a pothole or improper lighting,” says Indira Maheshwani, who rides a two-wheeler. “Traffic moves at a snail’s pace at this stretch,” she adds.

Lack of proper lighting adds to the woes and can even lead to accidents. “There are almost no street lights on the stretch from HAL Heritage Centre and Aerospace Museum to the junction near Bagmane Tech Park. For a pedestrian or even a motorist, it can get very scary where there isn’t enough ambience light to see what lies ahead on the road,” says Rajdeep Acharya, a software engineer.

He says that unplanned road bumps add to the painful travelling experience on this stretch. Footpaths on this stretch have been dug up or are broken. “Though one can see
the work that is happening in the dug-up portions, it seems to be progressing slowly.
With motorists driving haywire, pedestrians have nowhere to go to but face
their wrath due to the condition of the road,” says Prabhalakshmi M, a homemaker from Kundalahalli.

Anuradha, a senior financial analyst who stays in Marathahalli, says that though maintenance work is happening on this road, it’s often like a band-aid. “When one part is done, the other part comes off. The road is in a deplorable condition. Though there is work going on everyday, the loads are unlevelled and bumpy, which can lead to back problems,” she says.

Anuradha adds that when four-wheelers ply on this road often, there are huge chances of wear and tear of the vehicles too.Authorities claim that they are doing their share to make the stretch a passenger’s delight soon.

Commissioner, BBMP, M Lakshminarayana says that work on this stretch comes under the signal-free corridor project. “The work on this stretch has already started and the total time allotted for it is 18 months. This will include pedestrian walks and improving the road. The work has progressed by about 20 percent already,” he says. Lakshminarayana vouches that this stretch extending from Command Hospital to Whitefield will be easily accessible once the work is done.