BENGALURU: City’s notorious traffic has slowed down by 3.2 kmph over last year’s average speed, as per data collected by taxi aggregator Ola. Past predictions by traffic research agencies like Consortium of Traffic Engineers and Safety Trainers (CTEST) say that the traffic could slow to as much as 5 kmph on an average across the city by 2020 if immediate steps are not taken. The city is planning to introduce ‘Less Traffic Days’ from next year which will encourage motorists to give up their vehicle in favour of public transport for one day in a month.
Experts suggest that much more serious measures like congestion tax are the only way to discourage traffic in a city. The Ola data also lists out Silk Board junction as the city’s most infamous choke point. Over the years, the junction, which connects important areas with several tech parks, has gained a reputation as being impossible to navigate through during peak hours. In fact, there are memes and even a Twitter account dedicated to the Silk Board Junction which often posts jokes and experiences of daily commuters. Other choke points include Cox Town, Indiranagar and Electronics City. In 2017, Bengalureans also left their homes 25 minutes later in order to avoid rush hour, the report says.
Average speed across Bengaluru
2016: 20.4 kmph
2017: 17.2 kmph
Choke Points
Silk Board Junction
Indiranagar
Cox Town
Electronics City
Average departure time for commuters
2016: 9.20 am
2017: 9.45 am