Strait of Hormuz 'Bengaluru edition': Hilarious post suggests ways to avoid Silk Board

Bengaluru's infamous Silk Board junction is back in conversation on social media as a netizen hilariously linked the Strait of Hormuz to the traffic-heavy junction.

Taking cue from industrialist Harsh Goenka's earlier post suggesting a land route that avoids the conflict-ridden Strait of Hormuz, the "Bengaluru Edition" post features popular and crowded localities of Indiranagar and Marathalli bypassing choke point of Silk Board via the combination of metro and auto.

Social media users hopped on to add to the humour. One user commented "Yulu bikes are missiles", while another said "Realest post on LinkedIn". A third commented, "Don't let Harsh Goenka see this".

The original post crops from Goenka's X account, where he suggested using land for the shipping of crude oil amid closure of the important Strait of Hormuz due to the West Asia conflict.

The graphic he posted imagined a workaround where instead of oil tankers sailing through the narrow strait, ships would unload crude at a port before the choke point. The post suggested that trucks carry the oil across land to another port on the other side, where it would be loaded onto another ship and sent onward.

However, people were quick to point out the flaws and the absurdity of the idea.

A single very large crude carrier can transport roughly 2 million barrels of oil. Transporting an equivalent amount of oil will require thousands of vehicles operating continuously.

The cost, coordination and infrastructure needed would be enormous. Besides, the terrain in the area is mountainous, making it even more difficult for the suggestion to work.

The Silk Board junction

Meanwhile, the Silk Board junction is infamous for its traffic congestion, especially during peak hours, with it being in conversation on social media, often becoming a topic of humour.

The government and traffic police are working on several plans to decongest the area, including a double-decker flyover and an Outer Ring Road.

The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has identified major chokepoints between Hebbal and Silk Board and recommended rectification measures to ease congestion along the Outer Ring Road (ORR).

Rectifying these spots could reduce traffic congestion along the ORR by nearly 20 per cent, according to Seemant Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City.

A majority of the traffic snarls at these locations stem from poorly designed entry and exit points between the main carriageway and service roads.