Traffic snarls at the Hebbal flyover area, notorious for massive traffic jams, intensified during peak hours on Monday morning following a decision by the Traffic Police to barricade a service road here. The road connects with the Ballari Main Road leading to the airport and residents of numerous surrounding areas used it to enter the City from here or reached their areas through a shortened route.
The Chief Minister's Office had a week ago directed the district administration to take steps to reduce traffic congestion at 10 key spots in Bengaluru including Hebbal.
A long queue extending up to 2 km cropped up on the service road, that lies in front of Esteem Mall and Columbia Asia Hospital, around 8 am today. A top traffic cop told TNIE they were trying it out on an experimental basis from Monday on the orders of the Police Commissioner. “We will see for two or three days how it would work out,” he said. He conceded there was some confusion in the morning due to the sudden introduction and traffic cops were at the spot to guide public. “We will tell BBMP to put up signboards immediately so that public know they need to use the flyover from tomorrow,” the cop said.
Residents of Kodigehalli, Sahkar Nagar, Jakkur, Amruthahalli and Yelahanka New Town among others use this service road to enter the City. They will now have to take a longish route of going below the Hebbal flyover, taking a left turn and using a loop on the flyover to enter the City. The sheer numbers waiting to do so caused the jam this morning.
Among those stuck in the jam was urban traffic expert Sanjeev Dyamannavar who was on his way from his residence in Jakkur to New BEL Road in Yesvantpur. “It was complete chaos for public on Monday morning. Traffic cops were having a very hard time trying to make public understand what to do. And I was stuck in the 2-km queue,” he said. He has been calling up MPs and top cops including the DCP traffic Savitha for help in redressing the situation.
A furious Dyamannavar has tweeted to the CM urging for suspension of the traffic inspector here for such a “wrong decision.” “Heavy traffic jam at Hebbal this morning and no urgency by DCP to reverse the decision,” he tweeted.
Data analyst Vikram Shetty who used the flyover this morning tweeted about the new barricading in place to stop exits from highway to service roads. “it’s going to be a huge task in reaching Hebbal flyover and then crossing it,” he said.