Blessing or nightmare for City motorists?

Blessing or nightmare for City motorists?
Vijay Times

Bangalore: City motorists might face traffic jams over the coming weekend with Benny Hinn's event at Jakkur airfield coinciding with the Chilean President, Ricardo Lagos Escobar's two-day visit to the City.

Past experience indicates that even a single big event in any part of the City drawing thousands of people has a telling effect on the City roads, which get clogged in a chain reaction spreading across Bangalore.

Besides, there are the protestors, who may block the roads without warning.

Those who planned to spend the weekend outdoors have expressed fear that they might get caught up in traffic jams.
That too, when the weekend is a long one with Bakrid on Friday.

While the people, especially motorists, dread the coming weekend, the Traffic Police assure that they have things under control.
They say VVIPs and VIPs will be allowed on Bellary Road via Hirannapalya. Buses, lorries (bringing people from surrounding areas of the City) and two-wheelers will be allowed via Sriramapura, Ring Road, Nagawarapalya to Hinn’s meet.

Vehicles coming from Tumkur towards Doddaballapur will have to go via Peenya, Santhe Circle near Yelahanka and on to a road behind the Jakkur Airfield. Participants who do not hold VIP passes will have to go to Yelahanka and then on to the Kogilu cross and to the place of the function, instead of taking the Bellary Road. Moreover, about 500 traffic policemen will be deployed to control vehicle movements while nearly 700 acre of parking space has been arranged.

But road safety experts say that with more than 2 lakh vehicles (about one-tenth of the City's vehicular population) and more than 5 lakh participants, traffic chaos would be inevitable. Especially with the ongoing road-widening exercise on Bellary Road between the Hebbal flyover and Yelahanka. Mekhri Circle junction, L&T junction near Byatarayanapura, Yelahanka, opposite to GKVK will be the worst affected points due to the function, say traffic experts.