All smooth, claim traffic cops; commuters go grumbling

All smooth, claim traffic cops; commuters go grumbling

There was chaos on the roads that David Cameron took in the city, heavy showers only compounded the motorists' woes

Team DNA



It was a security drill that city police rarely perform. On Wednesday, as the prime minister of the UK, David Cameron, visited the city with a 90-strong delegation, the motorcade passed went to the Raj Bhavan, the Infosys campus in Electronics City, and HAL. Many roads were closed off temporarily to ensure smooth passage to the visiting dignitaries.
Some regular commuters complained. "I had to be at office by 9.30 am, and it's already past 10. I'll lose attendance today, meaning a cut of Rs500. Who'll pay for that?" asked Samarth Alumelu, as he waited for traffic to clear before getting to his office on Residency Road.
In the city's central business district (CBD), traffic was thrown out-of-gear for about an hour. The motorcade had to take a detour through Ulsoor Road to reach Raj Bhavan through Cubbon Road, to avoid stretches of MG Road hampered by the work on the metro.
"The British prime minister is a dignitary, an international guest. Security arrangements were all tip-top, and we removed all obstructions, including vehicles parked on the sides of the roads for the entire route that the guests were traveling on," said a police officer.
But there were some things even the police could not control. There were spells of heavy rain, and many policemen had to stand bravely at their posts. There was no way they could be seen ducking for cover from the rain when such an important person was visiting. "The constables have been supplied raincoats, but many forgot to bring them, so we were dripping wet at the end of it," said a policeman.