Enduring chaotic traffic has become a daily routine for residents of West Bangalore. Four years after its completion, the Rajajinagar grade separator has in no way resolved the traffic woes of citizens as promised when it was conceptualised by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
It is still a nightmare for motorists coming from Magadi Road, Basaveshwaranagar, Rajajinagar, Srirampuram and surrounding areas in the western parts of the city to cross the stretch of road from Rajajinagar Entrance up to Khoday’s Circle.
Motorists, who get stuck all along the stretch for more than 30 minutes during peak hours, have no other go than to endure it as this is the only route connecting these areas to the Central Business District (CBD).
While the heavy traffic coming from Rajajinagar VI Block and Bashyam Circle side moves at a snail’s pace right from Sujatha cinema till the Okalipuram Junction, it gets stuck near the Okalipuram underbridge as this is a major bottleneck.
The former corporator of Pakashnagar and Rama Mandir wards, G. Padmavathy, said that the digging of roads taken up by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has only added to the problem.
“With stretches of road being dug up near Prasanna cinema and on Magadi Road between Prasanna Cinema Junction and 1st Cross and near Bashyam Circle, motorists are put to great hardship,” she said.
M. Venugopalan, president of Basaveshwaranagar Citizens for Civic Awareness, attributed the mess to poor planning on part of the civic authorities. “None of the roads in our area have been designed as per the Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards. Speed breakers are put up unscientifically causing more problems to law abiders,” he said.
Shashidhar S., a resident of Sharada Colony in Basaveshwaranagar, complained about roadside vendors and vehicle owners encroaching upon the roads and pavements.
“We cannot take out our vehicles as our drive-ways are always blocked by parked vehicles,” said Mr. Venugopalan.
The problems of residents of Rajajinagar are not different from others. The residents of one of the city’s oldest residential locality (named after C. Rajagopalachari) have to bear with erratic water and power supply, irregular garbage clearance and also, the stray dog menace.
With the constituency now represented by Urban Development Minister S. Suresh Kumar in the Assembly, water supply has improved of late. Nevertheless, problems persist because water is often supplied at odd hours with low pressure. Residents of Bhovi Colony and Prakash Nagar are the most affected.
Although BBMP has recently implemented its “Zero Garbage” policy in Kamakshipalya, heaps of garbage still dot the area. Clogged and overflowing drains are causing hardship to residents here. However, the residents have the benefit of having the one-stop BangaloreOne centres in every ward.
