BENGALURU: Fed up. This sums up Bengalureans’ anger over poor road infrasturcture and resultant traffic gridlocks. Traffic congestion leading to slow speeds and long travel times therefore is a major problem. The city is bursting at the seams, and a vehicle population that has crossed 56 lakhs has only worsened the nightmare.
Recently, Whitefiled residents took to the streets protesting bad roads and traffic jams. Again, so fed up is a visual artist with potholed roads that he recently turned a gigantic pothole on Sultanpalya Main Road into a ground for a life-sized crocodile.
According to traffic expert Srihari, most roads in the city are very narrow, while there have been no recent initiatives to widen them. All this is a result of poor planning by the government and the BBMP, he says. The problem lies in the fact that roads are laid in an unscientific manner and are poorly constructed. “Given the fact that these killer roads have led to many fatal accidents in the recent past, the Chief Minister must look at addressing this issue first,” says Srihari, traffic expert.
In some places, especially the Outer Ring Road, the speed of walkers is faster than those of vehicles, which is pathetic. “Once a road is laid, it should not deteriorate for at least three years. In Bengaluru, however, roads wear out within months,” he says.
Solution
“While laying a road, tar should comprise 4.5-5.5% bitumen. The bitumen must be heated to at least 140 degrees centigrade before it is mixed with the tar. Steps must be taken to ensure that heavy vehicles do not ply on city roads. Also, a proper drainage system must be ensured, so that there is no water-logging.
— Srihari, Traffic expert