The indifference continues...

The City has become a minefield of sorts with potholes, that pockmark the roads, getting bigger and nastier by the day. The City has witnessed one death and two freak two-wheeler accidents in less than a fortnight.

Road users who run into potholes are in a Catch-22 situation. If they proceed, the craters are certain to damage their backs. If they swerve or slow down, then speeding vehicles are sure to hit them.

The authorities’ callousness makes their condition worse. Vittal Kumar, a software professional, points out that the potholes slow down the traffic. “I travel only by a two-wheeler and I regularly ride between Rajajinagar and Domlur, which is about 18 kilometres one way. I can understand the existing potholes and ride accordingly but how do we know about the newer ones that appear almost everyday,” he reasons.

He also states that when it rains, most of the potholes get filled, making it difficult for riders to calculate the depth. “There is also no provision for the excess water to drain out,” he observes.

The government is always on a digging spree on the major thoroughfares in the City. This leaves behind heaps of mud, tar and stones on the spots where it has worked, making the roads very slushy for motorists.

The rains wash away these shoddily tarred strips, leaving behind deep potholes that are potential death traps for two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. Sharing his experience, Naveen Bhaskar, an employee with Thoughtworks Technologies, says, “I fell off the bike last week because I was trying to avoid a pothole. I fell because the roads are not only filled with potholes but even the regular roads are bad.” Asked whether he has tried taking the bus to work and Naveen says, “The connectivity of buses between where I stay and my place of work is very poor. I have to change at least two buses which is a time-consuming process,” he adds.

Two-wheelers are not only at the risk of always losing their balance but there is always water splashing on them from fellow passengers. Rony, a resident of Koramangala, who travels from Domlur to Koramangala everyday narrates, “I’ve lost my balance from my bike several times but I don’t want to change my mode of commute because two wheeler is the fastest for option for me. It’s terrible to move around the City when it rains because the potholes get filled and water splashes on two wheeler riders everytime a vehicle drives in and out of the potholes,” Rony says.

Urban planners don’t mince words when they say that the roads in the City are poorly laid and the potholes are not repaired and restored on a regular basis. Ashwin Mahesh, an expert in urban planning, feels the government doesn’t anticipate these potholes and work in advance.

“They begin work only when potholes appear but don’t anticipate them. Pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are the worst-affected because they aren’t protected in any way,” explains Ashwin.

He further states that the government must have a system where they can fill potholes as and when they appear rather than wait for a hundred of them to appear and still do nothing about them, says Ashwin.