Problems galore on day one

Problems galore on day one
The Hindu

BANGALORE, DEC. 11. The city police consciously chose a Saturday to introduce the one-way rule on the busy Residency Road, Richmond Road and connecting roads, one of the biggest systemic changes in recent times. But when the new rule hit them, motorists found it hard to digest even as the police maintained that road-users will fall in line eventually.

The police had announced the rule change a fortnight ago. But going by the motorists' response, it apparently did not amount to sufficient notice. Many road-users The Hindu spoke to on Saturday were surprised by the new system. Most of them complained that they had not been given prior notice.

Chaos

Chaos reigned at the Museum Road and Richmond Circle junctions. Motorists had a tough time understanding the new routes and negotiating the traffic bottlenecks that emerged at intersections.

Many motorists were convinced that the new system would not help in eliminating the general traffic problems. Alok from Adugodi, who rides a two-wheeler, found it difficult to locate his destination through the new map of one-ways.

"They should have informed us in advance with directions on maps," he said.

His friend, Meena, commented, "I don't think this is going to work out in solving traffic problems. They have already converted Miller's Road into one-way. But the traffic problems there persist."

Autorickshaw drivers appeared to be the most hassled ones. "What solutions are they talking about? The public is having problems with the new system," said Hidayath, an autorickshaw driver. Khalil Ahmed, another autorickshaw driver, could not even spare some time to reply because of the heavy traffic jam behind him. Later he said: "What can I say? You may see the traffic jam behind."

He felt that if it could be so crowded on a Saturday, weekdays will be worse. For them, the previous system was better as it would have taken lesser time to reach the destination and was both passenger and driver-friendly.

Business hit

Business establishments on most of the roads that were made one-way felt the pinch. With customers more worried about finding their way, the shops did not do much business on Saturday.

However, the traffic police inspector, C.W. Poovaiah, opined that the public would take time to adjust themselves to the new system.

"Things are going to be fine in three to four days," he said. Traffic police constable Moodala Gowda who was in-charge of the Richmond Circle area, said: "We can't say anything now."