As air show drones, traffic groans

As air show drones, traffic groans
The Times of India

Bangalore: The most spectacular flying machines might light up the skies as part of Aero India 2005 at the Yelahanka air force base beginning Wednesday, but on the ground, it’s a predictable story of traffic logjam and choking fumes.

Though the police have imposed restrictions on the movement of trucks on the Bellary Highway (NH-7) from February 9 to 13, between 6 am and 8 pm, traffic was thrown out of gear for several hours on the busy Bellary highway on Tuesday, the approach road for the show venue. And the show had not even begun.

Tuesday morning was just a full rehearsal, a warm-up so to speak, for the real show to begin on Wednesday. But a large number of vehicles, carrying mostly schoolchildren, piled up en route to the venue, in what could only be termed as a rehearsal of what commuters are likely to face during the next five days.

Road works taken up in front of Hebbal police station and Yelahanka by-bass worsened the situation. Adding to the chaos were two trucks which had broken down near the flyover, blocking traffic for several hours.

Around 9 am, traffic had jammed up just after Mehkri Circle. It moved at a snail’s pace till the Hebbal flyover, after which the next bottleneck was at the diversion near Yelahanka.

The traffic police had, however, anticipated heavy flow of traffic to the venue and diverted t r u ck s a w a y from the stretch.
DCP Traffic (West) Basa--varaj Malagatti said road works and the broken-down trucks affected the smooth flow of traffic on Tuesday.

The situation is expected to be better from Wednesday, as the police will continue to divert trucks away from the stretch and adequate deployment will be made to monitor traffic, he added. Depending on the situation on Wednesday, private buses too can be diverted from the stretch if necessary, he said.

With displays slotted twice daily, the traffic chaos is expected to run throughout the day, so commuters need to brace for a constant mess on the road.

Meanwhile, as part of the special arrangement, trucks will have to follow these routes:
Trucks starting from Chikballapur for Bangalore and Tamil Nadu on NH-7 have to take left at Devanahalli and enter the city via Sulibele and Hoskote. HTVs leaving for Tumkur and Pune have to take a right turn at Devanahalli, towards Doddaballapur and Dobbspet, before getting on to Tumkur Road (NH-4). Trucks for Bellary and Tumkur taking the NH-4 from Kolar have to ply through Hoskote and Sulibele before reaching Devanahalli. HTVs from Hosur Road to Hyderabad will have to ply along Vartula Road, Rammurthynagar Junction, Thambuchettypalya, Hoskote and Sulibele to access the NH at Devanahalli.

AERODYNAMICS

Display time: Twice daily — 11 am and 3 pm.
Entry fee: Rs 150 for display (season ticket Rs 600), Rs 500 includes exhibition entry (season ticket Rs 2,000).
Available at:
50 branches of Canara Bank. (Please note: tickets are not available at the venue).
Venue:
Yelahanka Air Force base, off Bellary Road. (See map for directions).

Some useful tips:

Wear comfortable clothes, footwear. Viewing area is 10-15 minutes away from the car park and is full of red mud and pebbles. Much of the viewing area is uncovered, so carry a cap/hat/umbrella; glares/shades are also a good option. Take a pair of binoculars for a closer look at the flying machines. Carry plenty of water; avoid foodstuff as it might attract birds. Take mobiles only if you must; they cannot be heard most of the time. Arrive well in time for a better ringside view of landings and take-offs. Hang on to children; the place can get so crowded it is easy to lose them. Children below 16 not allowed into the exhibition area.

HOW TO REACH DESTINATION YELAHANKA

Take Bellary Road (NH-7) past Yelahanka Circle, through the underpass and continue on Devanahalli Road; take left turn indicated by large Aero India signboards straight to the display parking bay.
WAY OUT: Take road out of the bay and continue onwards; take left where the road meets Doddaballapur Road; continue till Yelahanka Circle and take right to reach Bangalore.
NOTE: All entry and exit points are adequately signposted.