When one-ways are always a compromise

When one-ways are always a compromise
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: One-ways always involve a compromise. While commuters have to take a more circuitous route, it eases traffic congestion and flow.

Making arterial Residency and Richmond road one-ways from December 1 will not only create many more one-ways in the vicinity, also alter bus routes and bus stands. While the new system is intended to ease traffic on busy roads, it may throw up a whole lot of fresh problems in certain pockets.

Are the police taking on more than what they can handle? raises certain queries where road blocks are expected in the new system.

Campbell Road, linking Johnson Market with Lifestyle via St. Philomena’s Hospital is one such cause for concern. The new system will reverse the one-way on the street, allowing vehicles only from Hosur Road towards D’Souza Circle and create an additional traffic bottleneck at the Ashok Nagar intersection. This road is intended to take the brunt of traffic that previously drove on Richmond Road.

There are many reasons why this could be a potential trouble area. One is that this narrow street has BWSSB water and sewage pipes laid beneath its surface, which have been known to spring leaks in the past. In fact, a part of the road has already sunk over the years due to vehicular movement. This diversion could add to the strain.

Another reason why it could cause trouble is that it is intersected by the road leading from Viveknagar to Richmond Road. The traffic coming in a direction perpendicular to Campbell Road makes a signal junction necessary. This in turn could create a lot of backup traffic all the way up to Johnson Market and block Hosur Road.

Vehicular congestion on a road not strong enough to bear it would defeat the very purpose of the new system -- to ease traffic.

will in the next few days highlight more such junctions that may defeat the very purpose of the new one-way system. Readers are invited to point out areas of inconvenience due to enforcement of one-ways. Write to us at bngletters@epmltd.com.