It was a manic Monday as nearly 50 lakh commuters, who usually rely on Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) services every day, were left high and dry.
With no option but to use their personal vehicles or take cabs to work, Bengaluru’s roads remained clogged during peak work hours.
Many expected clear roads and less traffic but were in for a long ride. “I left relatively late at 9.30 a.m. expecting less traffic. But it took me one-and-a-half hours from the usual 45 minutes from Indiranagar to Kadubeesanahalli,” said Rishi M., a software professional, who works for a multinational company on Outer Ring Road.
There were several traffic jams during morning and evening peak hours on Mysuru Road, Electronics City, Outer Ring Road near Kadubeesanahalli, and Majestic areas as people reaching the city’s main bus-stand struggled to find their way back home.
Many persons travelling to other cities too had to make last minute changes to their plans, which led to a mad rush. “We had booked tickets to Hubballi on Sunday night but had to cancel it. We purchased last minute tickets on a private bus for Monday night and delay our travel as we were worried about the services,” said Kiran Kumar, a resident of Basavanagudi.
Additional haltsSeveral trains were given additional halts on Monday in order to make commuting easy. This will continue on Tuesday as well, said South Western Railway officials. Mail and express trains will continue to halt in Carmelaram, Yelahanka, Channasandra, Nayandahalli, Channapatna, Kengeri, Ramanagaram, Whitefield, and Baiyappanahalli. Special trains were also arranged between Yeshwantpur and Tumakuru, which will continue on Tuesday.
