Worn out by the road

The roads of Bangalore have been in a terrible condition for a long time now. A certain amount of wear and tear is bound to happen to vehicles that go on these roads, which are unlevelled and full of potholes. Motorists and motor experts in the City speak to Metrolife about the effect of these roads on the City’s vehicles. 

Be it a two-wheeler or four-wheeler, the maintenance of any vehicle is costly. Latha J, an HR manager who rides to work and uses her bike a lot, says, “Due to continuous halts, the brake shoe suffers. Also, the bumpers and alignment of the vehicle get affected when the tyre goes into a pothole.” She adds that over the last five years, her bike has been serviced a number of times and the expense on it has increased by 30-35 per cent. She feels that the poor condition of the roads is the reason for the same.

However, mechanics have been getting a steady business. Sunil Kumar, who has a two-wheeler garage in Kammanahalli, agrees with a smile that there were more customers last year. He points out that bad roads hamper the efficiency of a vehicle. “Most customers come with issues related to the chain spoke, an element which connects the wheel and engine. Also, many people come due to the wear and tear of the tyre and there are cases of bent wheel rim too,” he says.

Denis Deepak, a four-wheeler garage owner in Indiranagar, says that most four-wheeler motorists have been coming in for the servicing of axle and suspension. “The brake shoes and clutch rod also go through a lot of wear and tear,” he says. Denis adds that since the traffic is high and road conditions terrible, motorists use the clutch a lot to change gears. He also points out that though a vehicle should not give any problem for at least 30,000 to 40,000 kilometres, many come with complaints after the vehicle has been driven for just 15,000 to 20,000 kilometres. 

Expenses are high for autorickshaw drivers as well. “The expenses go up by 25 per cent every year,” says HG Srinivas Murthy, vice president of Adarsh Auto Drivers’ Union. Srinivas points out that the tyres, gear chords and clutch are affected the most due to the poor condition of the road.

And it’s not just the smaller vehicles that suffer. Even buses get affected by uneven roads. Anand CG, general manager (technical) with the BMTC, says, “The BMTC did a comparative study (see table below) of good roads like the road to Devanahalli and bad roads like the one from Magadi Road to Peenya 2nd Stage, and analysed the efficiency of buses in each category,” shares Anand. He wraps up, “Unless the roads are improved, the condition of vehicles will keep deteriorating.”