BENGALURU: Death was lurking here. Motorists having a fall at the spot on Mysore Road, where a woman was run over by a brick-laden lorry on Sunday, is an everyday affair. Either in an attempt to avoid the pothole or just having hit it, at least five two-wheeler riders are knocked off their vehicles on any given day, say locals.
Residents in the area also complain that the road has turned into a death trap ever since Metro construction work began. On sunny days, the loose gravel on the road and the thick cloud of dust make it dangerous for two-wheeler riders. Come rains and the potholes are filled with water making it impossible for riders to judge the surface of the road. Unscientific filling of potholes with cement and debris have made made matters worse as riders hit these uneven patches or risk their lives trying to negotiate them.
Angered by frequent mishaps, commuters have dared Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take the road to his hometown
Mysuru so that he understands their problems. Rudramuni, who runs a tea shop nearby,
sought to know why the government was apathetic to the condition of the road. “We hear about Siddaramaiah going to his hometown very often by helicopter. Let him travel by road, only then will he understand the common man’s problems,”he said.
Locals also pointed out that whenever the CM attends programmes in Rajarajeshwari Nagar or on Mysore Road, patch-up works are taken up by BBMP. “This road connects Bengaluru and Mysuru. Only when elections approach, political parties pretend to show concern for the lives of commoners,” they remarked.