3 years and on, no relief from traffic problems

3 years and on, no relief from traffic problems
CHANDRASHEKAR G.
DC | BENGALURU


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People living inVijaynagar, a major residential locality in the city, have been putting up with traffic problems for almost three years and an underpass meant to make things easier for pedestrians in the area has been delayed indefinitely. The project is also burning a hole in the pocket of the BBMP exchequer, with the cost of the project going up to Rs 70 lakh from the original Rs 53 lakh.
Pedestrians find it difficult to cross the road during peak hours and mud and sand has been dumped on the road.

The narrowing of the road has resulted in frequent traffic jams, says Right to Information (RTI) activist and resident of Vijaynagar Veeresh B.“BBMP slapped the contractor with a fine of Rs 5,000 for slow progress of work. I applied for details of the project under the RTI Act and found that the cost of the project had gone up by 17 lakh apart,” he said.

“The delay in completing the project is causing a great deal of inconvenience to the public,” he added.

People who suffer from respiratory problems find it hard to breathe due to the dumping of mud and sand on the road. Businesses on the street have also taken a hit.

Earlier, traffic had been blocked due to work on the Magadi Road-Chord Road underpass. Now the pedestrian underpass work has been delayed. As if that’s not enough, work on Metro Rail will soon start in the locality.

“Work has been delayed on the underpass due to the apathy of BBMP officials,” Mr Veeresh said. “BBMP must monitor project work at regular intervals and ensure that deadlines are met.” BBMP engineer in chief A.K. Gopalaswamy admitted that the project had been delayed due a change in alignment, but said the underpass would be completed two weeks’ time.