Traffic jams mar Deepavali, Eid mood in City

Traffic jams mar Deepavali, Eid mood in City
Vijay Times

Bangalore: Traffic jams in the City have come to stay. With a series of festivals like Dasara, Deepavali and Ramzan almost following each other, all sections of people are busy shopping. A steady stream of people from all over the City are flocking shopping malls to avail themselves of the special festival bonanzas. But, the ever-persistent traffic jams almost all over the City seem to have spoiled the zeal of the people.

Speaking to Vijay Times, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Traffic (East) M A Saleem said there were about 260 one-ways in the City. “Introducing one-way systems is a short-term plan to decongest the traffic, but in the long run, we have to widen the roads and build flyovers,” he said.

Prof M N Sreehari, Chairman of Traffic Engineers and Safety Trainers (TEST) and a traffic expert, said that every day more than 700 vehicles were added to the existing number. Owing to the inadequate mass transport facility, people were using their own mode of transport, he added.

A comprehensive infrastructure project, including flyovers, underpasses, sub-ways and existing rail corridors, should be chalked out on a war-footing, he said. But, building flyovers in an unscientific manner would only aggravate the problem instead of easing it, he asserted.

He said that about 1.5 lakh people moved about in the City, which doubled during the festival season.
This affected the traffic movement, especially in the central part of the City like MG Road, Brigade Road and commercial areas, he added. Further, the flow of the traffic was slowed down by the ever-increasing religious processions and protests. Bangaloreans needed short-term and simulation courses about traffic behaviour, he said. Providing scientific and multi-storey parking facility using the open spaces away from the central business districts was the remedy to decongest the traffic, he said.