BENGALURU: While news about the traffic congestion caused by Metro construction work hits headlines, an interesting fact about BMRCL chipping in with traffic marshals to reduce the congestion caused is unknown.Twenty such marshals regulate traffic daily during peaks hours along the Reach 4B of Phase-II. This 6.29 km stretch runs from Anjanapura Road Cross to Anjanapura Township.
Safety-in-charge at NCC Limited, the contractor that is carrying out the construction on this Reach says, “We have trained 20 personnel from varied backgrounds to carry out the work of traffic marshals with the help of the State Traffic police. They are on our payrolls and play a crucial role during peak hours at Konegunte Cross, Gublala Gate, KSIT junction and Vajarahalli junctions.” One such staffer, Papaiah Nayak was at Konegunte Cross during evening rush hour. He was running a tea shop on Kanakapura Road when he had to shut shop after Metro began the process of land acquisition here.
“I have been managing traffic here for 1.5 years now. It is better than running my own business as I feel I am doing something for others,”he says.Regulating the traffic beside him was M Nagaraj, a former autodriver. “I am enjoying this job and get a lot of satisfaction doing this,” he says.Traffic constable Shivanne Gowda was full of praise for the assistance provided by the duo.