CM Siddaramaiah writes to Azim Premji as Bengaluru traffic worsens along ORR

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Wipro’s founder-chairman Azim Premji with a request to allow public vehicles through his tech park on Sarjapur Road, as he looks to address Bengaluru’s worsening traffic crisis that has exasperated tech firms and made national headlines.

The outreach comes days after a miffed DK Shivakumar, the Deputy CM, asked IT companies not to blackmail the government after a logistics firm said it was moving out of Outer Ring Road due to crippling traffic congestion. 

In a letter dated September 19, Siddaramaiah appreciated Wipro’s continued contribution to Karnataka’s IT ecosystem and socio-economic development and went on to highlight mobility challenges. 

“One of the key challenges currently facing Bengaluru, particularly along the outer ring road (ORR) at Iblur junction, is severe traffic congestion during peak hours, which adversely impacts mobility, productivity, and the quality of urban life,” the CM wrote.

He suggested the company consider the possibility of allowing limited vehicular movement through the Wipro campus as part of mutually agreed terms and security considerations. 

According to preliminary assessments, Siddaramaiah said, such a measure could reduce congestion on adjoining stretches of the ORR by nearly 30% during peak office hours.

“Your support in this matter will go a long way in easing traffic bottlenecks, enhancing commuter experience and contributing to a more efficient and livable Bengaluru,” he said and hoped the company will engage with officials. 

The private access was a suggestion first proposed by the traffic police to decongest Sarjapur road, Iblur junction and the ORR. Such is the severity of congestion that one can see vehicles queuing up for 3 to 4 km on Sarjapur Road almost on a daily basis. If Wipro opens its gate, vehicles can head towards Bellandur bypassing Iblur junction, thereby reducing travel length by about 5 km. 

The outreach, however, was advisory in nature, although the government has power to declare a private street as a public road. This could also set a precedent for opening up the gates of many large tech parks in the city, which are blocking critical links between two major roads. 

Some motorists who work in the tech hub suggested that Wipro must consider the option at least during the peak hours, given the growth and job density around Sarjapur Road, Harlur road, Kasavanahalli, Doddakanelli etc. Others urged the government to complete the roads that were part of the comprehensive development plan (CDP). 

V Ravichandar, member of the government-constituted Brand Bengaluru committee said the Sarjapur area, like many other areas, needs comprehensive area development approach to retrofit a network of roads.

“This will involve land acquisition. Doing this would be more productive for the future of Bengaluru than one or two local point solutions as a short term fix,” he said. “On voluntary land handover for creating road links, we need uniform policy applicable for all large campuses as part of the overall solutions to increase road density.”