Traffic island causes mishaps

Traffic island causes mishaps
BY AMIT S. UPADHYE
BENGALURU







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on the street where you live
One of the last sur viving lampposts of Bengaluru is proving a nuisance for commuters on Brigade Road, who complain it is blocking their view of traffic.

Vehicles screech to a halt applying sudden brakes at the Vellara junction traffic signal as the cast-iron lamppost in its vicinity prevents drivers from getting a clear view of traffic coming in from other directions.

LMVs and autorickshaws, going to Vellara Junction from Brigade Road are allowed to take a U-turn at the lamppost junction to reach the Catholic Club and the Residency Road.

But the drivers taking a Uturn complain they often fail to judge the traffic flowing in from the other side of the road as the lamppost is in the way.

The police, which is aware of the problem, is reluctant to shift the lamppost for fear of earning the wrath of those keen on preserving the heritage of the city.

The lamppost, which has been around since the British ruled the country, is a longstanding landmark and the only one which has survived urbanisation. Similar lampposts in the city have been replaced with large electric poles. This particular lamppost’s proximity to the church nearby apparently saved it.

But the lamppost is not the only problem here. Commuters complain that the traffic signal and the traffic flow from both directions at the junction make it difficult for vehicles to take a U-turn.

“You cannot see the vehicles coming from the other end. The situation worsens at night,” says Nandita, who lives in Domlur.

“Drivers do not slow down even when they see vehicles taking a U-turn. As the police chowki is on the other side of the road there’s total chaos here in the evenings,” she complains.

Pedestrians are upset about the lack of footpaths on the Brigade Road stretch after the Residency Road junction.

“Vehicles are often parked on the wrong side of the road inconveniencing pedestrians even more,” says Mahesh, an employee of a mobile phone service provider.

“We are considering changing the traffic signal here to make the U-turn easier. We may have to stop vehicles from Vellara junction for a while to allow others to take a turn towards the Catholic Club road,” says a Ashok Nagar traffic police officer.