[SideView]

Heavy traffic/block from Attibelle towards chandapura and also from chandapura until the jain temple section neraluru also at attibelle circle.

Avoid if possible.

[sabsubs]

I have been living in Bangalore since my college days, that is from 1997 and throughout my career I have worked out of Bangalore and never went to another city. In the past, ORR was empty and I would travel from my office near Vydhehi hospital to the HSR Layout. I used to work late and ride my bike home by 11:00 pm. Many people warned me about the frequent mugging incidents along the stretch from Vydhehi hospital to the HSR Layout. The roads were completely empty. And throughout my career, either my office used to be in Whitefield or in around ORR. Back in 2009, when I was working out of Ecospace, the situation was no different. The traffic remained the same.

It is not possible to ease the traffic just by constructing flyovers & metro. Bus riders will switch to the metro, but car drivers will still drive and traffic won't decrease much. Possibly, a few car drivers will switch to the metro. When the companies are going to understand this. They cannot understand the stress the employees are going through by wasting about 4 hours in traffic back and forth. 2 years of pandemic was a blessing in disguise. I have been evading to go to office till now as I have completely moved to my hometown during the pandemic. Now the organization that I work for is asking the employees to return to the office like other organizations. I am currently in my hometown and fully dedicated to my work. However, I will soon have to move to Bangalore, which worries me because of the traffic. I am fed up with seeing the traffic in Bangalore since the year 2000. Wish I can take an early retirement and settle in my native. Waiting for that day to say good by once and for all to Bangalore.

[antz.bin]

Originally Posted by sabsubs

It is not possible to ease the traffic just by constructing flyovers & metro. Bus riders will switch to the metro, but car drivers will still drive and traffic won't decrease much.

Looking from the outside in, I would disagree with this. Let me explain.

You expect the bus riders to switch to metro. What about the 2 wheeler riders? Maybe they will take the Metro as well, at least during the rainy months? Then they will realise that it took them 30 minutes to cover the distance that they would usually cover in 50-60 on the ORR while sitting in an AC train instead of braving dust, grime and traffic while risking life and limb.

These bike riders turned metro riders will excitedly share this with their colleagues and news will trickle to the bosses about this shiny new safe clean and comfy mode of transport. The boss will take note that it took him/her 2 hours to commute to office that day in his car and might want to lessen their misery and also get slightly fitter in the process?

Even if others take time to make the switch, you can take the initiative and start today! Take a test ride if you cannot switch immediately. Be selfish! Use the metro all by yourself while the others stay stuck! Have a laugh at their ignorance!

As the years go on, more and more people start to understand the superiority of Metro Rail as a mode of transport and the city itself starts growing around metro stations and routes instead of growing around ring roads and highways. This is what has happened in NCR.

Adding capacity on Metro is much much easier than adding the same capacity on the roads. All it takes is an increase in frequency during rush hour and hundreds of cars get taken off the roads just like that.

Delhi/NCR has 2.5x the population of Bangalore and also has a 9 year headstart on Metro services starting there. It is currently at #43 on the TomTom traffic congestion index. Mumbai with just it's suburban rail and 1 metro line was at #34. The same index where Bangalore stands at #2. (Lower is worse in terms of congestion). These cities are bigger than Bangalore and still have less traffic! It is possible! It works!

The only way to reclaim Bengaluru is via effective, efficient and comfortable public transport. If you want to have a bandh that the IT people are initiating, do it for this. My employer is mainly based out of Bangalore and if they call me to office there, from what I read on this thread, it will be my worst nightmare coming true.

I have done just 2 rides in Pune metro and I have in my mind decided that I will NEVER go to Pune station and Shivajinagar Bus Stand by car again. I just can't take it anymore especially when this superior option exists!

[sabsubs]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

Even if others take time to make the switch, you can take the initiative and start today! Take a test ride if you cannot switch immediately. Be selfish! Use the metro all by yourself while the others stay stuck! Have a laugh at their ignorance!

I am not sure since how many years you are in Bengaluru and not sure whether you have made the switch to the metro. Once I was working out of MG road, I used to ride by bike till byappanahalli from Whitefield, park my bike in byappanahalli station & take the metro to MG road. I did my switch long ago when only one stretch of metro was available in Bengaluru. But mark my words, traffic will remain the same. Most of them who travel in their comfort of their car will not get into the metro since the metro will also get crowded, eventually. Probably certain percentage of car users will switch to the metro but it depends how far they live from a metro station & other constraints. People who are using the bus will switch over to the metro. Many have switched to the metro already, but still there's a long way to go. When the metro becomes fully functional, then we can have a smile on our face, but that is way too long in the future. We know the Bengaluru metro for its notorious delays in completing the projects.

[MercFan]

I have said this in the past and will say again. These cities cannot take more, it's not only related to roads and urban transport its also related to housing, better sanitation, quality of living and these over crowded cities like Bengaluru Chennai Mumbai Hyderabad Pune cannot provide the same.

All IT companies should look for alternative cities for their expansion. India is huge country and has lot of options. MNCs should start looking at Coimbatore, Vizag, Madurai, Indore, Mysore, Nagpur, Vadodara, and other cities. Infosys is opening its new R&D centers in many of these cities. Other should also follow.

PS: I have lived and worked for more than 12 years in Bengaluru (till Feb 2023)

[kochup]

While there are a lot of valid comments about the traffic situation, government apathy and companies new and old choosing to stay / put up new offices in crowded corridors.

The question is what are the available options for corporates -

a) Most of the IT employees (atleast non-native Banglorians) are housed within the areas of Electronics City, along the ORR, Whitefield because of proximity of offices.

b) In-adequate public transportation and even more our reluctance to use public transportation citing inconvenience, cleanliness, hygenie, proximity to hubs, safety etc (these are valid points)

I have no sympathy for these corporates but they are also tax paying entities and have obligations to their stakeholders to deliver profits while balancing govt, employees and corporate interests.

I think we love all the capitalist benefits but expect employee welfare and communism from corporate and government (in the sense, we will wait for Govt to solve the problem). Double standards??

Btw, Metro is not really going to solve any issues (have this atleast in Kochi) at best crowds in BMTC will be affected with poor design like unavailability of parking, dependency on autos for last mile connectivity etc.

Also for clarification, am just a normal tax payer employee who used to travel ~80 kms between EC and Whitefield pre covid (via Bommasandra, Gunjur, Varthur)

[atnyia]

Originally Posted by kochup

Btw, Metro is not really going to solve any issues (have this atleast in Kochi) at best crowds in BMTC will be affected with poor design like unavailability of parking, dependency on autos for last mile connectivity etc.

While I agree that Purple line (and upcoming ORR line) doesn't solve the problem fully, it atleast solves it partially and substantially.

I have stayed in Gurgaon. I almost never used Metro (except on Sundays due to crowd). But, so many of our colleagues from Delhi did it, despite having last mile issues.

I don't share the pessimism on Metro.

[am1m]

Even the best Metro system in the world will not miraculously empty the roads. Delhi and Singapore are cases in point.

What an efficient public transport system will do is give those who choose to use it, and design their lives around it, a more efficient, healthier, saner, dependable way to commute.

The congestion will continue, but at least there will be an alternative. And then those who still choose to use the roads well, it's their choice to use the roads and face the congestion.

(But first Bangalore has to get an efficient public transport system. Getting there. Slowly.)

[sabsubs]

Originally Posted by kochup

Btw, Metro is not really going to solve any issues (have this atleast in Kochi) at best crowds in BMTC will be affected with poor design like unavailability of parking, dependency on autos for last mile connectivity etc.

I agree with this. Last mile connectivity will be the main issue. If there are frequent feeder buses to every metro station, then it will be good. But if that is not coordinated properly, then people have to get their two wheelers or cars to the metro station. Parking facilities in the metro stations will be a big problem. Will they be able to accommodate hundreds of cars and thousands of bikes?

[dailydriver]

A tweet posted by Outer Ring Road Companies Association informs how the Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic has agreed to ban the movement of heavy vehicles on the ORR from 7am to 10pm. This, along with certain other measures, is supposed to ease movement of people on the roads during peak hours.

Interestingly, the traffic cop concerned is the son of a former Transport Commissioner of Karnataka (an IPS) and a long time resident of Bengaluru. This should provide him with enough hindsight and experience to reorient the movement of vehicles in order to avoid inconvenience to general public.

(I will be keeping watch on how the truck owners react to the proposed ban. They are a formidable force and can hardly be taken as pushovers in matters of policy making)

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

Traffic has agreed to ban the movement of heavy vehicles on the ORR from 7am to 10pm. This, along with certain other measures, is supposed to ease movement of people on the roads during peak hours.

Sure, and its Deja vu because they did implement this briefly in 2014 and it was a damp quib:

Coming soon: 6am to 10pm ban on trucks on the ORR

(I will be keeping watch on how the truck owners react to the proposed ban. They are a formidable force and can hardly be taken as pushovers in matters of policy making)

Right, and then the truckers lobby will ensure to get such bans revoked, like they did many times before:

Under pressure from truck owners and traders, the city traffic police have relaxed restrictions on entry of goods-laden trucks into the city during daytime. Trucks can now enter during non-peak hours between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. in addition to the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m slot.

[ashis89]

Heavy vehicles also includes water tankers which are huge in number, plying the city roads at all times and also a major lifeline for tech parks, apartments and homes. Can they be stopped as well? I wonder

[Revvatron]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

These bike riders turned metro riders will excitedly share this with their colleagues and news will trickle to the bosses about this shiny new safe clean and comfy mode of transport. The boss will take note that it took him/her 2 hours to commute to office that day in his car and might want to lessen their misery and also get slightly fitter in the process?

Based on my experience in Hyderabad, these kind of discussion happen among the office folks and I have seen lot of people switching to metro through word of mouth. But here lies the mystery, even with fully functional metro along few routes, the traffic is still the same on these routes. And it's not like metro's are running empty, they are jam packed and one cannot enter into it at the first go itself during office hours despite increased frequency. I think below are the reasons for this :

• Only those who are covering long distances are considering metros. For example people who live 4-5 stations away are still opting for personal transportation.

• And the most important thing is the influx of people. Every year we are seeing more number of people coming into the cities, so even if people are making the switch to public transportations, the traffic will likely be the same. Infact I am scared to think what would be the situation if metro wasn't there

Most of the folks now are taking metro after peak hours, like around 9pm or 11 am.But once you get to experience the comfort of metro during off peak hours there is no going back

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

Delhi/NCR has 2.5x the population of Bangalore and also has a 9 year headstart on Metro services starting there. It is currently at #43 on the TomTom traffic congestion index. Mumbai with just it's suburban rail and 1 metro line was at #34. The same index where Bangalore stands at #2. (Lower is worse in terms of congestion). These cities are bigger than Bangalore and still have less traffic! It is possible! It works!

Originally Posted by am1m

Even the best Metro system in the world will not miraculously empty the roads. Delhi and Singapore are cases in point.
What an efficient public transport system will do is give those who choose to use it, and design their lives around it, a more efficient, healthier, saner, dependable way to commute.
The congestion will continue, but at least there will be an alternative. And then those who still choose to use the roads well, it's their choice to use the roads and face the congestion.

Originally Posted by kochup

Btw, Metro is not really going to solve any issues (have this atleast in Kochi) at best crowds in BMTC will be affected with poor design like unavailability of parking, dependency on autos for last mile connectivity etc.

Originally Posted by sabsubs

Parking facilities in the metro stations will be a big problem. Will they be able to accommodate hundreds of cars and thousands of bikes?

<Long Rant Alert>

I am personally a big supporter of metro and any rail based transport. I am also really looking forward to the completion of all the under construction metro lines and enabling a viable alternative for the millions of commuters in Bangalore.

Having said that, completion of the metro is not a magic bullet to solve the traffic issues of Bangalore. Some of the points mentioned in the quotes above have the pointers to why it is so.

• Cities like Delhi and Mumbai were much larger than Bangalore and have had a more organic growth. They also had good rail networks(in Mumbai) and in Delhi, as mentioned above, the Metro had a 9 year head start on most other cities including Bangalore. This is important, because then the metro infra expansion will be somewhat be able to keep up with the city's expansion. Unfortunately in Bangalore the city has expanded so fast so quickly that the infra is not even close to keeping up. As a result by the time the infra(in this case the metro) is ready, it is too little, too late. The ORR should have had the metro at least 5-6 years back, but it will partly get one maybe 3 years down the line and maybe 5 years down the line for the full ORR-Airport line. Similarly Whitefield, Electronic City should have been one of the first to get the metro, but they are just getting it in 2023-24. Plans are on the drawing board or worse, there are no plans yet for key areas that feed into the Electronic City, ORR, Whitefield belt. Old Airport Road, Koramangala are not in any plans yet. Sarjapur Road is somewhere on the drawing board.
  
  
• In short-Metro on ORR would have made a game changing impact in 2016-17, but when it comes in 2026, the situation would have become so bad that even the metro will have negligible impact.
  
  
• The other important aspect which I do not know if people have noticed- Almost none of the stations in the active metro lines have adequate parking- Even for 2-wheelers. Especially on the new Whitefield line-There is pretty much no parking anywhere. This basically means that the last mile problem still remains unsolved, unless you can walk to a metro station. I recall the BMRCL MD in an interview saying that the goal is that a commuter will never have to walk more than 500m to a metro station- Which is a long, long, long way away. Not to mention our non existent pedestrian infrastructure.
  
  
• The 3rd aspect, which is again tied to the too little too late part is the crowd. Just today I saw the below tweet of people waiting to get into the Byppanahalli Metro Station.
  Link. As of today, as per official data, there are 200,000 vehicles on the ORR at peak hours. I assume conservatively that can be 300,000 people. 3 years later that number maybe 500,000 people. Even if 20% switch to metro, that is 100,000 people wanting to get into a train. A 6 car train can take 2000 people. Frequency best case can be 2 min. Will leave it at that.

I was also stuck in the infamous jam last week. Took 2 hrs to go from Belandur to Sarjpur Road (~5km). Even on a normal day, the whole area crawls forward slowly. Exiting the tech parks takes 30+ min, crossing silkboard or Marathahalli takes 1hr + and people have adjusted to this as the new norm.

What happened that day was truly scary. If it was one single big event, it was understandable. In last weeks case, there was no one reason, only some small triggers. It was just the mind blowing volume of the traffic and people on the road. Also, the way ORR is currently, once you are on it, there is nothing you can do in case something goes wrong, you cannot exit, cannot U Turn, cannot park. More buildings are coming, more people are coming. Metro Construction will kick up a gear with the stations starting.

All these small half measures of banning heavy vehicles, staggering timings, pushing for better arterial roads are of no use. The damage is done and irreversible. This was already the case in 2019, and when things reached a crescendo, Covid happened and everything was forgotten. Now we are back and worse than before.

We need to be really worried and scared at what the next 2-3 years has in store for us.

[Sebring]

I believe every city is facing these challenges. Bangalore needs a radical idea and it's not coming any time soon

Originally Posted by Highh5

I bid farewell to Bangalore in June 2021. Recently while trying to switch to another better opportunity, whichever companies were asking me to relocate to Bangalore no matter how good the chance was I just said NO to them. This traffic situation will not be solved overnight, it will need serious decisive measures some short-term and some long-term measures. Don't take me wrong I have spent a reasonable amount of time in Bangalore and love the city for everything it offers except the traffic. I wish someone from the private sector come forward and try to sort out this mess with the help of the government.