Signal-free Richmond flyover perplexes motorists on day one

Signal-free Richmond flyover perplexes motorists on day one
Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddiqui, Bangalore, Dec 12, DHNS:

The signal on the Richmond Circle flyover –– a thorn in the flesh of City’s traffic scenario –– is a thing of the past, at least for the time being.


But the move to do away with the signal and introduce a new traffic pattern triggered chaos and confusion among the motorists on the first day of its experimental implementation here on Saturday.

The signal was in place for the last eight months and motorists had become used to the hold-up at the flyover. As a result, when the new pattern came into effect, it set off disorder leaving the motorists perplexed. Double Road witnessed a huge pile-up because of the renewed burden on it.

Traffic was clogged and the police had a tough time in bringing order on the stretch. It, however, didnot prove an embarrassment for the police as traffic was thin as it was a Saturday. The first major test of the new pattern will be on Monday when the traffic volume will be at its peak. “Today was a lean day. We have to wait and see what it augurs for from Monday,” said Raju, an auto driver.

“It’ll take at least 20 days to stabilise and make motorists familiar with it. Confusion was expected but we hope that the situation will become normal soon,” Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) told Deccan Herald.

The signal had killed the very purpose of constructing the flyover at Richmond Circle, which was to decongest Richmond Road, Residency Road, Double Road and surrounding areas.

But the traffic police’s move will rectify the damage done, adds Praveen Sood. “We decided to remove the signal as it was affecting the functioning of the flyover,” he said.

Teekappan, a traffic constable deployed on the flyover, hoped that the new traffic pattern would usher in better days for the motorists in the future. “Now, they can go directly to Lalbagh Main Gate, Madivala, Koramangala and other adjoining areas instead of taking a circuitous route via Poornima and Urvashi junctions,” he said.
K Javaraiah, another traffic constable, said that the new pattern would also benefit those coming from N R Circle and K R Market. But the traffic police’s woes will be far from over as Double Road has been burdened with the resultant increase in its traffic. “We'll have to concentrate on Double Road, for it will face pile-up,” Praveen Sood pointed out.

Is the removal of the signal on the flyover a right step in decongesting traffic? Well, Bangaloreans wait for the answer.