Traffic signals that are meant to regulate vehicular movement are doing quite the opposite on National Highway 7 that leads to the Bengaluru International Airport.
The traffic signals that were once strategically placed along this integral stretch are now bang in the middle of the road after work on the expressway and road widening commenced. It is especially difficult to use the stretch between Kodigehalli Junction and Yelahanka bypass, and from Kogilu Cross Junction to Bagalur Cross Junction.
With the road connecting the city to the airport, vehicular movement is heavy throughout the day. With the signals becoming bottlenecks, moderating traffic on certain stretches has become a headache for the traffic police. Traffic pile ups are customary at the signals.
As if this was not enough, the poor quality of the road has compounded motorists’ woes. After the road was widened, the service roads have become part of the main road. With this, there is no possibility of diverting traffic to the service roads as they do not exist on some stretches.
Mallikarjun, a taxi driver, said driving on the stretch was stressful. “There is no need for speed bumps between Kodigehalli to Bagalur Cross Junction as the road is uneven on both the sides.”
Another driver lamented that due to poor quality of the road, it is difficult to maintain lane discipline as motorists switch lanes to avoid the obstructions.
More accidents
The traffic police claimed that there has been an increase in the number of accidents on the road. “We have complained about the poor road condition and the location of the traffic signals to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). However, there has neither been a response nor any measures to set right the anomalies,” a traffic policeman told The Hindu on condition of anonymity.
NHAI officials, however, disagreed. They said the signals had shifted to the middle of the road due to the construction work.
“We will require at least Rs. 12 lakh to move them temporarily. It is now up to the State government to decide what needs to be done. The NHAI cannot be held responsible for this,” they said.
