BJP protests Richmond, Residency Road one-ways

BJP protests Richmond, Residency Road one-ways
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Nearly 300 BJP partymen including legislators and corporators staged a rasta roko at Cash Pharmacy junction on Tuesday protesting against the recently enforced one-ways on Residency and Richmond Roads.

They said the new system was causing great inconvenience to the public and demanded it be withdrawn immediately. ‘‘We will seek Chief Minister Dharam Singh’s intervention to restore the earlier system,’’ BJP spokesperson S. Prakash said.

BJP workers also expressed their ire on the traffic arrangement atop the flyover. ‘‘Why spend Rs. 15 crore on a flyover if there is to be a signal in the middle to stop traffic flow?’’ they asked. They said the one-ways may have eased traffic on Residency and Richmond Roads but have led to increased traffic not only on the connecting roads but also on M.G and J.C Roads.

‘‘Both Richmond and Residency Roads are wide enough to handle two-way flow. An increase in the number of vehicles does not warrant a one-way. They have neither applied their minds nor consulted transport experts or the public,’’ Prakash accused. Thanks to the shifting of bus stops away from Residency Road, commuters now have to walk long distances, he pointed out.

BJP also alleged that the one-ways encouraged parking on Residency and Richmond Roads by parents who picked up their children at Bishop Cotton and Baldwin schools. The vehicles should be parked within the school premises and not on the roads, they insisted.

Prakash also said he would petition the CM on converting Cunningham Road, Queen’s Road and Central College Road into two-ways. If no action is taken immediately, BJP would intensify their protests, he warned.