BENGALURU : The rapid mushrooming of several tech-parks on Outer Ring Roads (ORR) in east and north Bengaluru might be a cause of cheer for many, except those who work there. With several localised problems plaguing many sections of the ORR and Namma Metro already, the added issue of commute timings going up this year has turned into a daily battle for those trying to get to work on time.
According to MoveInSync, a transport solutions company that released a office commute report for the first quarter of 2018, commute times have increased by six per cent in the past one year, with an overall addition of three minutes to travel timings. The study analyses data from 11 lakh shared rides between January and March 2018 and 2017.
The company has also ranked the city's major IT corridors with regard to the time taken for commuting to offices. While some sections of the ORR, such as Bellandur, have shown improvement, others, such as Doddanekundi, which deputy chief minister G Parameshwara visited recently to inspect work on the flyover there, have deteriorated rapidly, slipping from rank four to 11 on the list. Whitefield, Electronics City and Embassy Golf Links in Domlur, have managed to retain their rank, with no changes in commute times.
"Urbanisation, construction of increased number of tech parks and commercial spaces, infrastructure improvement such as flyovers and the Metro have contributed to a deteriorating city," the study says, adding that on an average, commute times increased by three minutes or six per cent over the past one year.According to office-goers, the traffic is something they have learnt to expect now. "Our office has flexible timings, but I have had to change my work hours now, and login at 7 am to finish by 4 pm. But last year, travelling to and from office would take me at least two hours daily," says Abhay R, a resident of Old Airport Road working in Manyata Tech Park.
Sapna Madhavi, who also works at Manyata, had to change her office timings because of this peak-hour traffic issue. "My office timings changed from 11 am to 7.30 pm, to 8 am to 4.30 pm, just so I could avoid the rush. Earlier, it would take an hour just to get out of the office compound. The new timings are better, but it's only a matter of time before traffic catches up," she says.
MoveInSync also lists Whitefield and Prestige Techpark on the ORR as some of the worst areas for office commute. On the flip-side, offices on Sarjapur Road, Bannerghatta Road, Bellandur and Yeshwantpur have seen a decrease in commute times."The work on the ORR Metro line will make things worse, as this is an already crowded stretch, which will see barricades coming up. I am dreading the next few years. But if they finish the project on time, it will be a boon for those working in companies on the ORR," says Reshma Rao, who works in Bellandur.
Solution lies in three-pronged approach: Experts
Dr Ashish Verma, associate professor (Transportation Engineering), Dept of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), says, "There is nothing surprising about increasing commute timings in those areas. Some areas could get temporary relief from the congestion, but that will just be for a few months before roads get clogged again. Flyovers and new roads are just temporary measures, individual vehicles are the root cause of traffic problems. The solution involves a three-pronged approach that includes improving the suburban railways to these areas, improving BMTC services and increasing in the Metro line."
Talking about traffic in the ORR, Anupam Agarwal, deputy commissioner of police, Traffic (East), says that this is out of the police's hands. "Roads are operating beyond their capacity. This requires collective action from all departments in finding a solution," he says.
"We clear the roads one by one, and the infrastructure issues raised by concerned residents were brought to the deputy CM's attention when he visited the area," he adds. "The number of people moving into these areas is the main cause for traffic. If a new IT company comes up, suddenly, 55,000 people will shift to that area," says Agarwal, saying he has no answer to why there has been an increase in commute timings in just one year, as indicated in the study. (With inputs from Preeja Prasad and Ramzauva Chhakchhuak)