Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[Rocky_Balboa]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

Guys, is it recommended to use ORR to commute from Marathalli to Hebal? and how is the traffic scene on this route around 7ish in the morning?

thanks!

The three major junctions enroute would be:
a) KRPura
b) Hennur
c) Nagawara

However given 7AM travel timings, it should be a breeze compared to taking HAL-airport road and connecting routes.

[praful]

Originally Posted by praful

Will give this a shot today.... Totally frustrated with the state of ORR at present!

I totally forgot to turn towards Domlur and continued down my usual route today!

But, a small change instead of heading down ORR, I took a turn at New Horizon College and landed up at Sarjapur Road. Its about 3.5Kms extra for me, but the time of commute is the same as I used to take before the roads became ultra bad over the last 2 months. And more importantly there is furstrating super slow moving traffic and lunar craters to deal with.

My diversion - Outer Ring Rd to Sarjapur Rd - Google Maps

Works for me coz I stay in HSR Layout!

[flycatcher]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

After a week of using the Domlur - HAL airport r
................
plus more advantages in the domlur route :
* no potholes
* no flyover constructions
* very few bottlenecks, lot of signals but the traffic is more organized and so, engine can be switched off in most junctions

No Potholes are u sure? The BESCOM work that was done a year ago has left the stretch in front of Leela Palace in a big mess. I pass through this road everyday @9.30AM there is a huge traffic right from Domlur signal upto NAL signal reason being the craters that have been created because of patch work done after laying the 22KV cables by BESCOM.

[Ragul]

Last week Wednesday, I saw the worst traffic ever seen on ORR in many years. Then last two days have been bliss with almost empty roads. Driving became a pleasure once again! Today I found that some kind of lorry strike is going on - this explains the driveable roads.

Isn't there a bypass that goods vehicles can use without entering the city roads and harassing local commuters?

--Ragul

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Ragul

Isn't there a bypass that goods vehicles can use without entering the city roads and harassing local commuters?

The Outer Ring Road itself is meant to be a "bypass". How many bypasses can we build if the city itself is exploding like crazy!

And most of the heavy vehicles on ORR are those required for the construction of the flyovers. Add to it, the Volvos and cabs. But then, at least those Volvos and cabs are reducing 40 and 5 cars respectively on the road.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

I tried walking and bus yesterday - Life is better :-)

Walk - BTM 2nd Stage - Silkboard bus stop :- 10 min
Bus Volvo - Silkboard-Ecity - 20 min (Rs.30 bus Charge)

Nice idea. Definitely worth trying. Now how about that Jayadeva - BTM stretch by walk? there's a traffic jam of pedestrians on the footpath everyday! Tons and tons of techies on the footpath waiting to board their buses

Originally Posted by praful

But, a small change instead of heading down ORR, I took a turn at New Horizon College and landed up at Sarjapur Road. Its about 3.5Kms extra for me, but the time of commute is the same as I used to take before the roads became ultra bad over the last 2 months. And more importantly there is furstrating super slow moving traffic and lunar craters to deal with.

My diversion - Outer Ring Rd to Sarjapur Rd - Google Maps

Works for me coz I stay in HSR Layout!

I'd heard that some of the company cabs plying on that route use this detour. Never tried it personally though. Is it that narrow inclined road which leads to New Horizon? Never knew it extends till Sarjapur road! You just gave me a good idea with that google maps link. I'll give it a shot sometime. How is the road quality in that New Horizon - Sarjapur road stretch?

Originally Posted by flycatcher

No Potholes are u sure? The BESCOM work that was done a year ago has left the stretch in front of Leela Palace in a big mess. I pass through this road everyday @9.30AM there is a huge traffic right from Domlur signal upto NAL signal reason being the craters that have been created because of patch work done after laying the 22KV cables by BESCOM.

Not sure about the traffic at 9.30am, I leave a bit earlier than that. I thought the potholes in the EGL - HAL airport stretch are quite manageable. You should see the potholes on ORR. Bangalore Central mall to Innovative multiplex stretch is a disaster. The situation is worse when it rains in the evenings. Add to it 3 flyover constructions with single lane traffic along the construction sites (that 1 lane is again a lunar surface) Marathahalli - Domlur route is bliss compared to this.

Originally Posted by Ragul

Then last two days have been bliss with almost empty roads. Driving became a pleasure once again! Today I found that some kind of lorry strike is going on - this explains the driveable roads.

Isn't there a bypass that goods vehicles can use without entering the city roads and harassing local commuters?

--Ragul

Was there a lorry strike? I didn't notice any less trucks today than on other days! Which stretch of the ORR were you referring to? My Marathahalli commute took approximately the same time, I didn't notice any difference

[praful]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

I'd heard that some of the company cabs plying on that route use this detour. Never tried it personally though. Is it that narrow inclined road which leads to New Horizon? Never knew it extends till Sarjapur road! You just gave me a good idea with that google maps link. I'll give it a shot sometime. How is the road quality in that New Horizon - Sarjapur road stretch?

Okayish road quality, there are potholes here and there but nothing like the Bellandur stretch!

Its a narrow winding single lane road, just follow the cabs

Yea its the inclined road that goes inside.

[Spitfire]

Today morning while on the way to office @ Bagmane Tech Park. I had to take the Bolero instead of my cycle. Have to get the PUC certificate before heading out.

So at the BEML gate coming from HAL. I am waiting for the signal to go straight. I am in the right lane. At the start of the queue.

Signal goes green I go straight. Then I meet this gentleman and see what he does.



As you can see from the picture. There are two lanes on his left that are open and free. He creates a third lane. But unfortunately gets me coming from the opposite sides. And I dont relent that easily. So I stop right in front of him smile by bestest smile.

There is a traffic police guy in a small hut on my left he does not seem to be bothered though and is playing sodoku (I believe).

After a glare from him and smile from me. Some wild gestures from the passengers of this car. Asking me to reverse. But all they get is a bright smile.

As per the old jungle saying. Boleroes don't reverse. The other vehicle moves by itself out of its way.

So that is what happens:



He reverses and goes away. I am sure he will continue doing this.

[lohithrao]

Great going Spitfire! such morons are found in huge numbers in Bangalore!
this is one reason even i want a Bolero

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Today morning while on the way to office @ Bagmane Tech Park. I had to take the Bolero instead of my cycle. Have to get the PUC certificate before heading out.

So at the BEML gate coming from HAL. I am waiting for the signal to go straight. I am in the right lane. At the start of the queue.

Signal goes green I go straight. Then I meet this gentleman and see what he does.

Attachment 599832

As you can see from the picture. There are two lanes on his left that are open and free. He creates a third lane. But unfortunately gets me coming from the opposite sides. And I dont relent that easily. So I stop right in front of him smile by bestest smile.

There is a traffic police guy in a small hut on my left he does not seem to be bothered though and is playing sodoku (I believe).

After a glare from him and smile from me. Some wild gestures from the passengers of this car. Asking me to reverse. But all they get is a bright smile.

As per the old jungle saying. Boleroes don't reverse. The other vehicle moves by itself out of its way.

So that is what happens:

Attachment 599833

He reverses and goes away. I am sure he will continue doing this.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

As per the old jungle saying. Boleroes don't reverse

ROFL! That just made my day, O Ghost who walks!

Slightly OT: I used to visit my cousin in B'lore regularly when I was working in Chennai, back in 2000-2001. It was such a lovely place to drive around then, without all this aggressive and boorish traffic behaviour. This and the muggings in Bangalore thread really saddens me with all the unsavoury episodes in them. What makes it even worse is Pune is also fast degenerating into the same sort of place.

Cheers,
Vikram

[praful]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

ROFL! That just made my day, O Ghost who walks!

Slightly OT: I used to visit my cousin in B'lore regularly when I was working in Chennai, back in 2000-2001. It was such a lovely place to drive around then, without all this aggressive and boorish traffic behaviour. This and the muggings in Bangalore thread really saddens me with all the unsavoury episodes in them. What makes it even worse is Pune is also fast degenerating into the same sort of place.

Cheers,
Vikram

I think we as a people (Indians) are getting increasing impatient with the progress of time. Also, this problem is not localized to Bangalore or Pune, I think all cities are feeling the heat.

The pressure of life is manifesting itself on the roads to a certain extent.

I guess my post is a little OT in the context of the thread, but can't help not ranting seeing the traffic situation worsen every day!

[carZest]

@spitfire: Way to go!

BTW it is an AP-2X car registration! These can do much more than creating an extra lane! I say this from my ~ 3 year stint in Hyderabad.

[rohanjf]

What is wrong with Sarjapur road now? There was so much traffic from Doddakannelli towards the city at 6 in the evening! It took me half an hour to reach ring road from Wipro.

Seems like more and more people discovering the Doddakannelli-Panattur road as an alternative to ORR.

[avasekeh]

Originally Posted by Rocky_Balboa

However given 7AM travel timings, it should be a breeze compared to taking HAL-airport road and connecting routes.

I dont know about the ORR status at 7, but i travel from near bhoopasandra to IRR everyday at ~7:30ish and i reach my EGL office in ~25mins, and sometimes much lesser if the signal stars align right . The trinity circle junction is a bit of a mess though, and i am not sure about the road status after domlur. A couple of my colleagues did tell me that the status was quite bad after the rains.

[suhaas307]

Well, Let's talk pot-holes.

My daily commute is about 10 kilometers (one-way) from CMH Road, Indiranagar, to RV Road, Jayanagar. I shall break down my route to you'll and mention all the pot-holes and undulations on the way.

CMH Road - Trinity Circle Via Ulsoor Metro/Lido Mall. (2 km)

Pot Holes: 11, spread out evenly.

Undulations: Everywhere

Caved-in patches: 10 (CMH road has quite a few; 3 - at and around the new Metro-Station; 1 in front of the Ulsoor Police Station; 1 right in front of Lido Mall where the 4-lane road merges into two. Trinity Circle itself has caved in!

Trinity Circle - Richmond Circle via Army Mess/Lifestyle, etc. (4 km)

Pot Holes: 17, the most prominent ones being: the pot-holes around the Baldwin Girls' School vicinity, on the right hand side.

Undulations: 5 on Gen. Thimmiah Road. 6 on Richmond Road. (the two most popular ones being: the bit at the entrance of Castle Street after Lifestyle, 50 meters ahead, one signal before Vellara Junction, on the right hand side.

Road Works: Gen. Thimmiah Road @ Hosmat junction. Traffic is diverted onto the right hand side of the road, while the left-hand-side is being dug up in order to lay new drainage pipes.

Richmond Circle - RV Road via Double Road, Lal Bagh and Ashoka Pillar. (4 km)

Pot Holes: 8 (very surprisingly), 5 of which are on Double Road itself!

Undulations: 4 of which two constitute an whole stretch of road (Double Road @ The Shantinagar Bus Depot and another section of road one normally takes after taking a right at Ashoka Pillar to go to RV Road.

Notes: the entire stretch from Lal Bagh South Gate - right at Shell Petrol Bunk and all the way up to Ashoka Pillar is the best stretch. No undulations or pot-holes at all.


So there you have it. 36 pot holes, innumerable undulations, several caved-in patches and one dug-up 200 meter stretch of road on a 10 km stretch.