Bengaluru Traffic Woes: Diwali Gridlock Breaks Records
The perennial issue of traffic congestion in Bengaluru reached unprecedented levels during this year’s Diwali celebrations. The city witnessed a monumental traffic jam on Friday night, where over 1000 buses and 50 thousand other vehicles, carrying approximately 2.5 lakh people, found themselves trapped. The gridlock occurred between 8 pm and 2 am as vehicles traversed the city in various directions, leading to a massive traffic snarl.
Overwhelming Crowds at Key Locations
The Times of India (TOI) reported that Bengaluru Traffic Commissioner MN Anucheth identified key locations, including the satellite bus stand and various bus terminals on Mysuru Road, where an enormous crowd gathered on Friday night. Anucheth stated that the evacuation efforts commenced in the evening and extended for hours. To manage the situation at bus stands and pick-up points, authorities erected barricades to prevent people from spilling onto the roads and exacerbating the traffic chaos.
Daily Traffic Woes
Sachin Ghorpade, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), revealed that the traffic situation normalized after 2 am on Saturday. He acknowledged a resurgence of the jam on Saturday morning, although with a reduced number of vehicles compared to the previous night. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident for Bengaluru, as the city contends with daily traffic jams. Instances of school vehicles being stuck and prolonged gridlocks persist, with occasional reports of hours-long standstills. The issue has gained notoriety on social media, prompting questions about how long residents will endure these ongoing challenges.
