Traffic havoc in City: Police pass the buck

Traffic havoc in City: Police pass the buck
Deccan Herald

Being caught in the rains and consequently, the traffic, has become rather a routine affair for many, especially during peak hours. The problem was no different on Wednesday, as the 0.8 mm spell of rain caused traffic to pile up in several major junctions in the City.

Reports of slow movement of traffic due to rainfall came in from the underpass area at Cantonment Railway Station, Byatarayanapura, Tumkur Road, Mysore Road, Old Madras Road, Anand Rao Circle, Bannerghatta Road, Malleswaram, Minerva junction and others.

Speaking about the traffic problems, the City traffic police said the reason lies elsewhere and blamed the delay in completion of infrastructure projects. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic East) M A Saleem said they have been facing problems in handling traffic, particularly at the Anand Rao Circle, Jayadeva Grade Separator and at the Old Madras Road. According to him, the slow movement of traffic at Anand Rao Circle was primarily due to the delay in completion of infrastructure projects. While 18,000 vehicles can pass through the circle in an hour, the movement of vehicles comes down by half or even less during rains. Work on the Jayadeva Grade Separator which was supposed to be completed in April 2004, has come to a standstill due to various technical problems. As for the Old Madras Road, the road widening works have made it slushy and a cause for slow traffic.