Unchecked U-turns at city junctions pose key challenges to B'luru traffic

Vehicle users making U-turns through unmanned median gaps and intersections pose several challenges to traffic flow in the city, slowing down vehicle movement and jeopardizing the safety of all road users. Despite the presence of signboards that prohibit U-turns at several such spots, the lack of police enforcement allows many vehicle users, particularly two-wheeler riders and auto-rickshaw drivers, to ignore these restrictions.

One such example is the Cauvery junction on MG Road, where a U-turn is prohibited. A senior police officer attached with the Cubbon Park traffic police station said that vehicle users “willingly” violate the rule and hold up traffic flow.

“Despite there being a signboard clearly prohibiting a U-turn and cameras recording every violation, vehicle users continue to violate the rule, probably because they presume this will save them time. Doing so holds up traffic on both sides of the road and can risk others’ safety,” he said.

Traffic police sometimes barricade median gaps on busy roads during peak hours, which means vehicle users have to travel a longer distance to take a U-turn at a signalled junction or in the presence of a police personnel. 

“Generally, having U-turn intersections at shorter distances is good because that traffic is not carried forward or piling up at a distant signal or intersection. However, during heavy traffic flow, people waiting for U-turns on busy roads can cause a gridlock situation because they will hamper vehicle flow behind them so we close some U-turns,” said Shiva Prakash Devaraju, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic South).

This decision is, however, not feasible everywhere in the city. “We cannot close such intersections in residential areas. Jayanagar, for example, has such points every 50-100 metres, which is necessary for local residents’ movement,” he added.

Several such junctions on Tumakuru Road and Ballari Road, including the Cafe Coffee Day junction and the Air Force junction in Yelahanka are also accident blackspots due to vehicles haphazardly turning at such intersections, noted Siri Gowri, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic North).  

“Ideally, safer road designs such as underpasses and bridges must be built for road users. We have submitted to the BBMP several such changes to be made at such blackspots,” she said.