Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by NPV

Folks,
what's the best route to reach Park Plaza hotel Marathahalli from Old Airport road (near HAL) ?
gmaps is suggesting going via Tulsi theatre road, possibly reaching the rear entrance to the hotel. I remember this as a very narrow road, but haven't taken it in years.
*(will be a Sunday evening visit).

Personally, sunday evening I would not bother with these narrow roads. Sunday evenings in these narrow residential areas are always crowded. Especially Marathahalli.

I would take left after the yamlur signal, join Orr near ISRO u turn, then go all the way to kadubeesanahallli , go on service road and u turn again above the underpass and then enter park plaza. Although distance wise it seems round about, I don't think it will take more than 5-10min extra max.

Only point to note is that after Marathahalli you need to immediately enter service road (immediately after VIMS hospital) there is no entry further down closer to the underpass.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I would take left after the yamlur signal, join Orr near ISRO u turn, then go all the way to kadubeesanahallli

There are boards in Yemalur that the route through the village will be blocked for several days during Shivrathri festival. I think Sunday is included. In which case, avoid.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by binand

There are boards in Yemalur that the route through the village will be blocked for several days during Shivrathri festival. I think Sunday is included. In which case, avoid.

Even if Yemalur route (the road via Logica, et all) to the village is blocked, shouldn't be a problem for me since I'm headed in opposite direction, right ?

Rajeev was suggesting the left turn (opposite side of Yemalur road) on Old Airport Road (Doddanekkundi road) that leads to ORR near ISRO.

[aadya]

Originally Posted by NPV

Folks,
what's the best route to reach Park Plaza hotel Marathahalli from Old Airport road (near HAL) ?
.

Originally Posted by alokgunhal

Tulsi Theater road was being tarred last week. Instead take the Chowdeshwari Temple road (since the right turn is blocked you my have to go a few metres ahead and take the u turn). Once you enter this lane go straight and you will see a Hanuman temple (there is a statue at this temple). Take the left at that junction and go till the next T-junction. This is the Tulsi Theater road. Now take a right and at the end of the road take the left (you will now reach the service road). Take the left onto service road and Park Plaza would be on your left in about 100-150 metres.

I travel/rather toil in these stretches multiple times a day. alokgunhal suggestion is the best bet. It would be a little slow in the chowdeshwari temple and beyond but usually you can travel at about 10-20km speed and reach park plaza within 10minutes.

[NPV]

Defence Colony, Indiranagar update:
Some Pipe/Cable laying work is in progress for sometime now (read months). As of this morning, 3rd, 4th, 5th Mains and the cross roads leading to these from 1st Main (behind CMH Hospital) and 6th Main are very slippery, avoid 2 wheelers, especially scooters. Due to overnight rain, the excavated soil has spread all over the roads and is gooey, prone to skidding.

[binand]

Originally Posted by NPV

Even if Yemalur route (the road via Logica, et all) to the village is blocked, shouldn't be a problem for me since I'm headed in opposite direction, right ?

The mention of Kadubeesanahalli confused me. You are right. I'll let the Yemalur update stay here - might help some poor office-goer on Monday to avoid this route. :-)

There used to be a lane that goes from behind the Marathahalli bus stop immediately after the bridge, merging with ORR near Kalamandir. Not sure if it is still available. I'd advise to avoid the Chowdeswari temple road unless you are on a bike, though - one water tanker and you are stuck for good.

[Jaguar]

I had a rather eventful day yesterday with a couple of near misses.

https://youtu.be/1ElKZFqrzz4

Originally Posted by binand

Isn't there an Elite Ford service centre at Mahadevpura near the big malls? Is it to be avoided?

Originally Posted by the_joker

As another poster mentioned, there is an Elite Ford service center somewhere near Decathlon.

It is better to avoid Elite Ford. I have been there a couple of times when my office was in Whitefield and the experience was far from ideal. Their showroom staff (in Maratahalli) are a bunch of morons. I had an accident with one of their employees hitting my car from behind. They invited me to their showroom and tied to threathen me which the store manager being a mere witness. Had to use some contacts to put them in place.

Originally Posted by NPV

Folks,
what's the best route to reach Park Plaza hotel Marathahalli from Old Airport road (near HAL) ?

FYI, Park Plaza is now Radisson. You might not find the board with the old name.

[mpksuhas]

@NPV, my suggestion is same as Rajeevs. Though Tulsi theater route is shorter, I would find it comfortable to take ORR - ISRO U turn - VIMS hospital - Kadubeesnahalli underpass - Park plaza route.

If you find traffic at Marathahalli while coming from HAL, you can take left after Yemalur signal / IOC bunk and join ORR near ISRO.

[Chetan_Rao]

Another vote to avoid Tulsi theater road.

ORR works best, divert via Doddanekundi road to ISRO junction if required, then U-turn at Kasubeesanahalli.

If traffic is really bad, one could consider parking in one of the lots opposite and cross over to Park on foot.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Another vote to avoid Tulsi theater road.

In any case, I don't think you can enter Tulsi theatre road coming from HAL side on Old Airport road - there is no break in median. You have to take either the Chowdeswari temple road or the small lane opposite to the Doddanekkundi turn-off; both of which are narrow roads and entering them in a car is not advisable.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

If you find traffic at Marathahalli while coming from HAL, you can take left after Yemalur signal / IOC bunk and join ORR near ISRO.

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Another vote to avoid Tulsi theater road.

ORR works best, divert via Doddanekundi road to ISRO junction if required, then U-turn at Kasubeesanahalli.

Thanks guys
One doubt that I have on the Doddanekkundi route:if I remember correctly, the road merges with ORR on the service road and the junction with the opening in median on ORR (the big U turn junction on ORR) is to the right of this junction so is it a legal right turn to go across the service road, one side of the ORR and then turn right ?

[binand]

Originally Posted by NPV

so is it a legal right turn to go across the service road, one side of the ORR and then turn right ?

No, though a lot of autos, taxis and pickup trucks, water tankers etc. do so. The right protocol is to turn right onto the service road; and about 100m ahead (soon after you cross the break in median of the ORR) there is a break in the service road/ORR boundary. You enter the ORR from here and go to the U-turn point.

The above could be tough and dangerous (you are still going more or less orthogonal to the ORR traffic flow) so a further 500m-ish ahead there is another break in the boundary wall, using which you can merge onto ORR traffic normally and safely and take this U-turn.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by binand

.....narrow roads and entering them in a car is not advisable.

I'd be eternally grateful if you could knock that idea into my office transport mgmt. admin.

Originally Posted by NPV

.....if I remember correctly, the road merges with ORR on the service road and the junction with the opening in median....

The common practice at that spot is to turn right onto the service road adjacent to ISRO compound, left U-turn onto ORR in front of 3M car care, then merge across and take a right U-turn onto the Marathahalli-bound carriageway. Can get scary sometimes because people often don't slow down and swerve dangerously around merging traffic. You could go a bit further down the service lane and merge into ORR near Chilli Pepper restaurant, which would give you a good 500m to move across to the right safely.

[itwasntme]

Divider alert! Overnight, the original divider in front of Esteem Mall at Hebbal has been extended towards the Columbia Asia side. As a result, vehicles on the main carriageway (and wanting to go towards Manyata/KRPuram) are swerving dangerously to the left directly into traffic on the service road (who are equally swerving to the right) taken unaware by the sudden divider!

I expect many accidents and beaching of vehicles on the divider.

[ron_9191]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

Was at Sankey Road at about 0830 today. The city has been beautified by flex boards in every pole. The Cauvery theatre roundabout had atleast 100 flex boards. And flags everywhere. Was amazed to see the transformation.
Our boring old garden city has become a flexcity.

Well you haven't visited Ramamurthy Nagar main road and TC Palya main road. Every electric post, road sign boards, poles and trees are covered with flex boards of politicians along with a lot of heads (no idea who they are and don't care who they are) coz all they do is to impress the politician and not serve the people. Regardless of the party of the MLA, the only thing that has changed to manage the traffic situation in our area in the last 7 years is the introduction of a few useless barricades! during rush hour, the entire area is jammed beyond belief. Of course 95% of the issue is with the mindless people irrespective of the vehicle's registration. The fact is everyone wants to go and nobody goes anywhere. I am not sure what makes us Indians so ignorant on the road while we are here and not when we are in another country.

We keep blaming the government, but traffic rules are supposed to be follow by us. It is made for the safety of each and everyone of us and the duty of a police officer is to make sure that there aren't any violations. The other day, I just did and experiment just to find out how pathetic, selfish and mean people on the roads are. I kid you know, try this for yourself once and you will know what I am talking about.

The other day, I was at an intersection. I have to take a right, so 20 metres before I stopped, I switched on the turn indicator to the right, and started to slow down. Almost immediately and impatient imbecile starts to honk from behind. Since it is a junction, I had pedestrians crossing the road, stopped for them while the person behind has made up his mind to run his battery flat with his horns. I am waiting at the intersection for almost a minute and a half with my indicators on telling the rest of the world that I want to get on the road. The main road I need to enter into was busy as hell but not one person will stop for a second. I started to move and immediately you can notice people coming towards you from a distance will start speeding up!! (what is making people to do this is what I fail to understand) The day we stop doing that, atleast 80% of the traffic problems throughout the country will be sorted out.