Traffic situation near Ecospace remains very difficult: Police

Managing Bengaluru's traffic isn't easy even during the best of times. Just imagine how difficult it gets when the city's notoriously congested roads are submerged in water and there's simply no way for it to drain out.

The unrelenting rains and the resultant waterlogging have exasperated the traffic police, especially those deployed between Silk Board Junction and Marathahalli via the RMZ Ecospace tech park in Bellandur.

To their credit, traffic police have gone beyond the call of duty to restore order on the roads. They have been clearing clogged manholes, filling potholes (when the rain stops) and removing other obstructions from the streets. The job has been particularly hard near Ecospace.

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Kala Krishnaswamy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic, East), says the traffic situation on the stretch remains "very difficult". "Waterlogging near Ecospace affects the traffic from Marathahalli to Silk Board Junction. Things are also very bad at Wipro Gate on Sarjapur Road," she told DH.

While the police have diverted the traffic towards Doddakannelli, the solution has limitations. "That road can't take so much load," she explained.

The officer expressed concern that the water levels weren't receding at all. "We are allowing only big vehicles. Things could worsen if the rains don't stop," she said.

Besides the major waterlogging in Bellandur, Sarjapur Main Road and Whitefield, there are also some small waterlogging points on the ORR in Banaswadi and Old Airpot Road, Krishnaswamy added.

The situation in the western parts of the city is better, according to Kuldeep Kumar Jain, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic, West). "Things get difficult because of waterlogging. Traffic hasn't come to a standstill. It's moving slowly," he said.

Binny Mill Road, near the railway underbridge, Khoday's Circle, Avenue Raod, KR Market and Sumanahalli Junction are some of the areas where the traffic is moving slowly, he added.

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Commuting ordeals

Commuters dependent on cabs and auto-rickshaws were in for a shock on Monday as drivers either cancelled rides or charged twice and sometimes thrice the fare.

Sahana Charan, a lecturer at St Joseph's College, struggled to hail an auto from Brigade Road to Jayanagar. "I had to pay Rs 450 to get to Jayanagar 4th Block. Auto drivers just fleeced passengers who were desperate to get home before the rain," she said.

A representative of the Adarsha Autorickshaw Drivers Union said: "We have warned all our member auto drivers to refrain from overcharging. Those who don't belong to any union end up charging a lot. We are helpless in this regard. The traffic police should fine them or conduct drives to instil fear in them," he said.

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