Galloping towards disaster

My work place is 6.5 kms (4 miles) from where I live. Fortunately I am one of those who is given no personal reason to incessantly complain about the traffic conditions. I take about 20 minutes in the morning drive to work and 25 minutes in the evening drive home which is pretty good by Bangalore standards. Even this delay can be attributed to poor roads, 7 signals, a certain prominent and indifferent school and to indisciplined drivers and not to overflowing traffic.

Things have changed in the last 3 days. Its taken me a good 2 hours to drive back home every evening for the last three days. The distance remains the same - 6.5 kms. For some inexplicable reason traffic on M.G.Road, Residency Road, Richmond Road, St. Mark's Road, Hosur Road and the immediate vicinity has been caught in an inter-locked traffic jam every day. 90 minutes of those two hours were spent in traversing the 1.5 kms of distance that falls in the above area. Forget two-wheelers, one could see even cars driving on footpaths to squeeze through every available inch of space.

Not surprisingly, action apart, there was not even a reaction from the traffic police. No effort to divert traffic in an attempt to break the jam and set traffic flowing again. Being caught in a steady drizzle, breathing noxious exhaust and having to bear the incessant blaring of horns can push any motorist's temper over the edge.

This particular situation might just be temporary, thanks perhaps to the visit of our HONORABLE PRESIDENT who, disappointingly like every other politician, has this penchant of criss-crossing the country to grace the opening of every sundry hospital, exhibition or a school anniversary with his august presence without sparing a thought to the collosal inconvenience that is being caused to the common man.

What worries me is the absolute and total lack of action on the part of the government to remedy the state of public transport infrastructure in Bangalore. No action in the short term - improving roads, better traffic control. No vision for the long term - a mass rapid transit system, decongestion of the city by developing counter magnets. A ratio of one vehicle for every 3.5 people is not sustainable with such high population densities, least of all in a city with such poor road infrastructure as Bangalore. How much longer can this situation exist? It will simply give way sooner than later.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to remain optimistic about Bangalore's future.