Bengaluru is famous for its traffic jams and unprecedented standstills. You can be stuck for any span of time- from tens of minutes to a couple of hours, in the busiest parts of the city. In a recent incident, the Electronic City flyover got jammed for 2.5- 3 hours straight! Frustrated by the chaos, commuters abandoned their vehicles and started walking home!
Completely Jammed from past 1.5 hrs in the #electroniccity flyover. I must have reached my home now which is 30kms away. Logged out at 5:20 and we are still stuck! We can see most of the employees of various companies frustrated and starting to walk. @madivalatrfps pic.twitter.com/wqvXuIArN6
— Maria Stefina! (@MariaStefina) October 23, 2024
The city has thousands of tech and IT professionals, some of whom were going back from their respective offices at the time of the jam. The congestion was worsened by waterlogging at the Roopena Agrahara. It has recently been raining heavily in Bengaluru.
The Gridlock On Electronic City Flyover
The traffic jam occurred along a critical stretch connecting the tech hub in Electronic City to central Bengaluru. Rainwater accumulated on the roads, and this made things more difficult for commuters. In response, the Bengaluru Traffic Police closed one side of the flyover to control the escalating congestion.
This caused hundreds of vehicles to come to a standstill on the flyover, and areas around it. This went on for the next 3 hours. People in these vehicles soon got frustrated, got out and started walking to their homes.
Bengaluru streets witnessed heavy waterlogging on Wednesday. By morning, however, it receded in most places. Even then, some areas like the Kendriya Vihar Apartments in Yelahanka continued to have stagnant water. Waterlogging and associated chaos have become common sights in Bengaluru these days. It remains to be seen what the authorities are going to do about it.
Social Media Reacts to the Chaos
Social media soon got flooded with people mouthing their frustration and giving out details of the mess they had to go through. Many users on X (formerly Twitter) questioned why work-from-home (WFH) arrangements aren’t being offered by more companies. The state government had issued a WFH advisory for October 23, hoping the same to reduce traffic congestion during inclement weather.
Bengaluru Needs Better Traffic Management
Amid repeated traffic challenges created by heavy rains, Bengaluru’s residents are increasingly questioning the city’s infrastructure and the effectiveness of the current traffic management system. The latest incident underscores the issues faced by the people in one of India’s busiest tech corridors and most happening cities.
IMD Predicts More Rain
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted more rains in Bengaluru over the next two days. Light to moderate showers are to be expected. Residents are advised to remain cautious as continuous rainfall could cause flooding.
New Panel for Infrastructure Solutions
In response to the recurring issues of flooding, waterlogging, and traffic congestion, the state government has formed a new committee to find long-term solutions for the same. Led by the Deputy Chief Minister and IT-BT Minister, it will work towards restoring the city’s reputation as the best IT-BT hub in India.
A government order, issued on October 15, highlighted the city’s significance as the base for major Indian and international IT firms like Infosys, Wipro, Google, and Microsoft. A panel, which includes the Bengaluru city police commissioner and BBMP chief commissioner, will work collectively across departments to develop strategies for improving critical infrastructure in areas like Electronics City, Whitefield, and Manyata Tech Park, as these have the most number of techie footfalls.
The post Commuters Abandon Cars On Bengaluru Flyover And Start Walking Home After Massive 3 Hour Traffic Jam (Video) first appeared on Cartoq.
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