[am1m]

Originally Posted by whitewing

One sore point I have is that they were not letting Autorickshaws on to MG road, ...

I think the rationale is to not have slower moving vehicles on the road. Plus autos tend to park and move slowly along looking for fares, blocking traffic. But yes, it doesn't help to remove one public transport option. Perhaps they could strictly enforce the auto lane instead.

Originally Posted by whitewing

...wouldn't such an approach encourage more private vehicles to get onto the road ?

Well, there's always the Metro, using that can eliminate private vehicles on MG road

But seriously, eventually the way forward is to restrict private vehicle usage, or make it more expensive to use private vehicles on routes that are well connected by the metro. Will take a while before the Metro in Bangalore is fully-fledged enough to cover the city. But this step is inevitable. Won't be popular, people will complain. But incentivizing public transport while disincentivizing private vehicle usage is the only way forward for cities of any size.

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by nagr22

Dear Bangalore citizens, the traffic cops have started doing their bit to ease our life on road. Please do your part as well by growing a head with a brain and follow some simple traffic rules! Rant over.

This is absolutely spot on. The cops have done pretty well in terms of rules and whatnot to ease the traffic flow. Due to the new rules with the probably reduced populace owing to the holiday season, I have seen my office commute time effectively halved (from HSR to Whitefield). Although it is unlikely to continue once everyone is back, but I am hoping that new rules are deterrent enough so that we are not back to the old days.
That being said, there are always a bunch of morons (forcing myself very hard to not use expletives ) who think they can beat the system. I now see even the likes of Tata Magics and tempos driving on the wrong side of the road (specially in Marathalli and Whitefiled areas). Not only do they jam up what would be a perfectly peaceful commute, it is also fatally dangerous for the two wheelers and pedestrians since they are intuitively expecting such large vehicles coming on the wrong side of the road.

[krish11]

High time Traffic police starts to take action on such dangerous trend. 3 kids popping out of the sunroof.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

By the way, the main carriageway at Sadahalli junction is open now, BUT be observant at the signal for rear-endings especially at night.

Some vehicles stop while others don't bother. Perfect recipe for disaster!

Quoting myself for the latest update. Seems there is to be a 500 metre flyover now!

[jkrishnakj]

With most of the Bangalore car owners either idling at home or having gone elsewhere to increase traffic jams, the roads are looking quite wide.

I had to attend a function at Vasanth Nagar yesterday and what normally takes me 80 mins, i could do with less than an hour. Today morning, I had to traverse through the Mysore Road flyover and back, and it was quite a breeze.

Let’s enjoy the roads till the 1st Jan before it goes back to what it always is.

[drive2eternity]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

With most of the Bangalore car owners either idling at home or having gone elsewhere to increase traffic jams, the roads are looking quite wide.

Let’s enjoy the roads till the 1st Jan before it goes back to what it always is.

Agree. I had a similar, low traffic experience yesterday. However, with many vehicles off the road, one element which showed it ugly head is the pathetic road quality at most of the places. I was traversing through the city and while GMaps showed most areas blue (meaning negligible traffic) the time shown was ~45mins for 18kms. I was surprised but when I actually did the drive, I understood the reason. It is difficult to consistently drive at (just) 35-40kmph on most roads. The uneven patchworks like pizza toppings, the random potholes and loose top layer mean you cannot just cruise. Lack of apathy for the general public.

[LordSharan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhOnOSL3Cno

Here's what I captured on my dashcam today at Ejipura Signal towards Sony Signal, Koramangala.

At 17 seconds, a rashly driven scooty overtakes me and kisses the ground at 26 seconds. Somehow I feel no empathy for these bikers. Neither of them were wearing helmets and they were driving too fast knowing that road has become craterized at Ejipura Signal.

Somehow this has become a norm here in Bangalore. The bikers have become a menace. Especially the ones being driven by these youngsters. Not sure what they want to prove, or who they want to prove to. Commonly seen problems

1. Talking on phone, while riding a bike. One hand is holding phone to ears, and other one is accelerating or braking.
2. Give a left/right signal, the bikers behind instead of braking and slowing down, will increase their speed and overtake you. I can't thank the lanewatch camera on left side, and I've been extremely cautious in taking turns everyday.
3. No helmets, driving too fast and relying on their bike's ability to save them (Braking, handling)
4. Sudden turns. Stopped at a signal, and then started moving (turning right) as signal turned green. A lady suddenly decides to cut me off all the way from left lanes, and swishes past me as I brake horrified.
5. Worst of all, wrong side driving, at full speed. all roads (with or without divider). All lanes in all roads in bangalore are bi-directional (or omni-directional) now, and I've to be even more cautious driving, never knowing I might encounter a full speed two-wheeler in my lane, driving from an opposite direction. As a precaution, I keep driving to the right side of the road, leaving space on the left side for all these stupid folks to do their theatrics.

A related anecdote on #5 - few days back, I was driving on NICE road towards electronic city exit. Around 7-8KMs before exit, All of a sudden, I see a Swift Dezire being driven on my lane (Right lane) in opposite direction, in good speed. Fortunately, I was able to spot the vehicle (as it was on a straight stretch), and sweved to the left lane. Thanked my stars, that no mishap happened, and shuddered to think, what'd have happened if this happened on a curve. I asked myself - how do people get the courage to pull of such stunts, that too on NICE road? I can guess why that swift dezire was travelling in opposite direction - he'd have missed an exit, and thought, why not just go back on the same road and take the missed exit.

Why, god, why?

[gtonsing]

Though not essentially Bangalore, I was returning to Bangalore from Gokarna yesterday and I touched Dobbaspet - Nelmangala area around 5:30-6pm. Till the left turn towards Hebbal as so jammed with lorries and goods carriers occupying all lanes. From Dobbaspet till the left turn - I took more than 1 hour. Not sure if this is normal behaviour. Strangely though, the narrow road after the Yeshwanthpur left turn was moving at a very good pace till Hebbal junction. Dead stop there again for a good 25-30 mins.

[rajeevsulu]

Traffic is much much less than before. I left Bengaluru yesterday morning to Erode. I drive from Vidyaranyapura and take the ORR Or Nice road usually. As it was 5:30 I drove through the city and reached Electronic city in 30 mts surprising myself.

[gtonsing]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

Traffic is much much less than before. I left Bengaluru yesterday morning to Erode. I drive from Vidyaranyapura and take the ORR Or Nice road usually. As it was 5:30 I drove through the city and reached Electronic city in 30 mts surprising myself.

This is most likely seasonal. I dread 1st week of January. We witness this every year (except the covid years) during this time and Diwali season

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

Traffic is much much less than before. I left Bengaluru yesterday morning to Erode. I drive from Vidyaranyapura and take the ORR Or Nice road usually. As it was 5:30 I drove through the city and reached Electronic city in 30 mts surprising myself.

Originally Posted by gtonsing

This is most likely seasonal. I dread 1st week of January. We witness this every year (except the covid years) during this time and Diwali season

We are just enjoying the seasonal last 2 weeks of Dec effect when most of US and Europe is on leave and our India offices are relatively quieters too. As much as traffic police has made some improvements, it surely hasnt reduced the no of cars plying on BLR roads. Jan 1st week will be good return to reality .

I actually chose to work 2 days this week just to drive to work on empty roads and enjoy the quiet in office

[PreludeSH]

Just came back driving to Mandya and back. 3 lanes on the highway looks less
And any time 2 buses or trucks occupy 2 lanes, even with the 3rd one the traffic becomes dense. They should stop considering this as a inter city highway and should have added more lanes like its within a city

[jaganm]

We drove to Goa and back for a few days, the roads were uniformly very good, traffic was generally Well behaved despite the crowds and even in narrow areas where only 1 vehicle could pass, people were cooperative.

However, as a long suffering Bangalore traffic person, I came back with the following thought

- Boys complain about Silk Board traffic
- Men have moved to Goreguntapalya signal
- Legends are now seen at the new Zuari bridge!!

[tiagoatrix]

Hello Bengalurians,

I am here in bengaluru for a week to spend my vacation at my sister's house (In belathur).
My observation as an outsider,

1. There's only sand, dust and gravel and some ditches (Like the great ditch of Whitefield), I'm yet to see a road here.

2. There are no traffic jams, they are blockades, vehicles from all four directions meet at centre point and don't move forever.

3. Without non existent roads, bengaluru traffic police have no moral right to fine /impound vehicles.

4. Karnataka has the highest road tax in the country, eager to know where these taxes are pocketed.

5.The only time I ever despiced driving is while driving here, how do you guys do daily?

6. I can't stop comparing Chennai and Bengaluru's traffic and roads, Chennai is at least 10 years ahead in road quality and ease of traffic.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by tiagoatrix

Hello Bengalurians,

I am here in bengaluru for a week to spend my vacation at my sister's house (In belathur).
My observation as an outsider,
.

Hello there. Happy to see an outsider contributing to this thread as we were bored of doing it. Thanks for holding the fort as this week we gave rest to this thread and we will be back here from next week onwards.

Bangalore is usually forgiving to its road users during this week of the year.