BENGALURU: Traffic jams are back in Bengaluru, despite the lockdown being enforced, and extended up to May 3. There was regular vehicular movement in the city on Monday and Tuesday, though the authorities have made it clear that vehicles without passes will not be allowed to ply. In fact, vehicles had queued up on major roads and at Minerva Circle, Anand Rao Circle, Mysuru Road, Mehkri Circle and other areas, to use the nonbarricaded section of roads. At some places, traffic police were just mute spectators as hundreds of vehicles -- two-wheelers and four-wheelers -- plied without police passes.
A senior police official said that with employees of several government departments being allowed to work from Tuesday, there was a sudden increase in the number of vehicles on roads. “It’s only in the morning and evening that there was an increase in traffic. Otherwise, traffic was as usual. Also, there appeared to be ‘traffic jam’ like situations as we have completely closed one section of the roads, to ease the work of the staff checking vehicles,” the official added.
However, another official attributed it to the confusion created by the government. “The government had issued orders that two-wheelers will be allowed and IT-BT companies can work with 33 per cent staff strength from Tuesday. The same evening, the order was withdrawn. This added to the traffic.” “More than 1.5 lakh people have availed of passes in the city. With them, bank employees, government employees, hospital staff and others are using their vehicles. So naturally, there is an increase in vehicular movement,” another officer said.
Scribe mowed down by speeding vehicle A 30-year-old TV journalist died after a speeding vehicle ran over him in Ramanagara on Tuesday. The deceased, Hanumanthu, a resident of Kanakapura, is survived by his wife and son. Police said the incident occurred when Hanumanthu was going to Ramanagara to cover a story on the Padarayanapura incident.
A vehicle, belonging to an ATM cash management firm, rammed his bike from behind and ran over him, killing him on the spot. The driver ran away and police are on the lookout for him. Politicians including H D Kumarswamy and D K Shiva Kumar said they would each provide compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family.