Oooh, aaah, ouch on Airport Road

Oooh, aaah, ouch on Airport Road
Deccan Herald

The link between the airport and the rest of the City is usually regarded as a showcase of the City’s unique urban spirit, offering a prelude to visitors on what awaits them. The same goes with Bangalore’s ‘Airport Road’.

If India’s Silicon City has its claim to notoriety as an ‘infrastructure hell’, Bangalore's global guests are left with no second thoughts, as soon as they take the road rather not taken.

The ‘Oooh, my back’ calls start as soon as the visitor leaves the short stretch of the tree-lined, well-tarred arrival-and-departure bylane and hit the arterial Airport Road.

The relieved ‘Aaah’s are still a long time away. Before that, is a torturous trek down the three-kilometre stretch before you reach the saner parts of Bangalore.

A reality check conducted by Deccan Herald during peak hours (9 am-9.30 pm) revealed that despite the Government’s promises, IT sector’s anger, Traffic department’s solutions and commuters’ collective road rage, miseries have only mounted. It looks unlikely that the present batch of assurances from the Government would reform anything on a road, which a frustrated IT corporate head describes as one “that is too developed for its own good”.

Report on roads

Distance: First 500 metres from the airport turn on Airport Road Time taken: 7 mins

The journey begins with less starts and more stops. Numerous buses are lined on the streets, motionless. It seems more like an ad-hoc strike call by bus drivers. Swanky cars arrange themselves bumper to bumper, while the auto-rickshaw drivers blast their horns creating a wild cacophony. Meanwhile, two-wheelers take advantage of their own maneuverability and fill into any available space including unmotorable footpaths.

Distance: 500 metres to 1 km Time taken: 8 mins

Outside Kids Kemp and the famous Shiva Temple, the progress is slow. While the bikes have moved much ahead, and even cars have done some groundwork, the buses have not moved at all. There is a traffic junction ahead, but it takes at least three rounds of signal change before one is given a green sign.

Distance: 1 km to 1.5 km Time taken: 7 mins

The slow motion continues as one moves from NAL bus stop to Manipal Hospital near Kodihalli. There is an ambulance blowing its siren, even as a radio jockey on FM repeats her advice to listeners to avoid the crowded Airport Road.

Distance: 1.5 km to 2 km

Time taken: 2 mins

Finally, there seems to be hope. The vehicles pick up speed near Diamond District and make a hurried dash, fearing a traffic pile-up near the Airport Road flyover, where construction is still in progress.

Distance: 2 km to 3 km

Time taken: 3 mins

There is a strong presence of traffic police near the flyover towards Domlur Layout, who are trying to effect a diversion to Indiranagar and Koramangala, to facilitate flyover construction. The diversions will be effective till the remaining parts of the flyover are ready. The congestion seems acute on the other side of the road, where traffic is moving towards Whitefield.

Comments

Vinoba Isaac, Transport expert, Wilbur and Smith: One solution for the traffic problems on Airport Road will be to ban right turns and allow a wide U-turn, somewhere near Kids Kemp, to regulate the traffic. Parallel approach roads should be developed going towards the Airport.

Chandra Mouli, Country Manager, Integral Systems, Diamond District: Our employees spend three hours a day travelling, when it should not take them more than an hour. In fact, some were so frustrated that they even threatened to quit if we didn’t shift our location. This is not a possible option as we are bound by a lease contract.

M N Reddi, ACP (Traffic): We have made the JB Nagar Cross Road from Airport Road to JB Nagar a one-way, which will decongest the area around Hotel Leela Palace. We are working on other short-term and long-term plans as well to improve the situation. Airport Road traffic is a major challenge to us, and we will take it seriously.

AIRPORT ROAD

Widening of carriageway at appropriate places along the stretch by one lane

Removal of trees, transformers, poles and water valves that obstruct traffic flow

Creation of a bus bay near Leela Palace

Monitoring cameras, variable messaging systems and signage for the stretch

Strengthening of Old Madras Road, Suranjan Das Road

New alignment connecting Airport Road through Wind Tunnel Road