[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

The police officer was misusing your ignorance.

Exactly. Not only ignorance, language barrier (artificial) and as I mentioned, just pure harassment for an out of state car. I can confidently say the intention of said overlord was never to issue a challan (which my friend was happy to pay, given he made a mistake) but just to make a few bucks and call it a day.

From other comments, I am glad to see the situation in other states is not this dire. Goes onto show just how low have the standards stooped here. Yes, there are the oddball, genuine BTP officials working tirelessly to make commutes in the city smoother. But they will probably be addressed as fools by peers given that they are actually discharging their duties and not looking around for soft targets to make a quick buck.

Just look at the state of traffic in rush hour. Wrong side driving is now a norm rather than exception with no one managing chokepoints.

[PreludeSH]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

I do remember noticing this but never paid much heed to it. Visitors will definitely have a tough time differentiating between "Bengaluru" and "Bangaluru". Maybe the CBD area wanted to keep the essence of Bangalore in Bengaluru for old times sake.

How can they expect us to believe that they can build under ground tunnels in a city notorious for being difficult to dig when they can't even spell the city correctly.

I re-iterate my point --> Politicos and the government functionaries can claim all their love for the culture and language but actions indicate that they do not care about the city at the slightest. It is merely a cash cow for them to fund their luxuries and respective party politics. (irrespective of who is in power).

Looks like they added URU to save on money on rewriting earlier letters

We are still electing Maharajas calling it democracy. They don't have to worry about their generations to come just like the Kings. Not sure what stops influential people who complain, to get into the system and try something.

[Zinda]

Originally Posted by dass

For some reason, The traffic police are not to be seen on the roads anymore.

You can find them near pub/bar areas after 7 PM! Entire Sarjapura road, ORR (HSR-Bellandur), Whitefield main road are some hot spots. They ensure checking almost every 2nd vehicle totally insensitive about the 1km jam behind - that too at late nights

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Zinda

You can find them near pub/bar areas after 7 PM! Entire Sarjapura road, ORR (HSR-Bellandur), Whitefield main road are some hot spots. They ensure checking almost every 2nd vehicle totally insensitive about the 1km jam behind - that too at late nights

Yes, and its so obvious that if you spot a red stretch on google late night in an area free of metro construction, you can bet on whats going on there Easy escape for the potential rule breakers.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Zinda

You can find them near pub/bar areas after 7 PM!

To be fair, I think this has what has helped reduce drunken driving to some extent? May not be uniform across the city, but speaking as an idiot who used to have more than a few drinks and then ride home regularly in my 20s (early 2000s) without any fear of being stopped, I stopped doing that after a few years because on the same routes back home, there was an almost certain chance I would be stopped and fined.

I think this serious offense (and I was on most of those occasions not fit to ride the bike back home!) requires such enforcement. I hope they go after wrong-side driving, driving through red lights, and footpath riding with equal zeal next.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by am1m

I hope they go after wrong-side driving, driving through red lights, and footpath riding with equal zeal next.

To my (pleasant) surprise today, traffic cops presented themselves beside the Ganesha temple off New Thippasandra main road and stopped wrong side two wheeler riders. It was getting very bad on this road and I saw cops after several months here!

I even saw an auto driver warning two wheelers riding on the wrong side and told him not to. These people deserve to be challaned and will hopefully not repeat this.

[phi]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

Exactly. Not only ignorance, language barrier (artificial) and as I mentioned, just pure harassment for an out of state car.

I have been driven my KL registered car to Bengaluru so many times over the years. Earlier, I would be stopped almost every time I was driving through the city and they would wave me over, check all documents, and try to fleece me one way or the other. It was highest in 2018-19 - once in 2019, I was stopped thrice in two days. However, in the last 18 months, I was not stopped even once as I went through areas where police was waiting - maybe I just got lucky, but I tend to believe that there is some change. Touch wood!

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by phi

I have been driven my KL registered car to Bengaluru so many times over the years. Earlier, I would be stopped almost every time I was driving through the city and they would wave me over, check all documents, and try to fleece me one way or the other. It was highest in 2018-19 - once in 2019, I was stopped thrice in two days. However, in the last 18 months, I was not stopped even once as I went through areas where police was waiting - maybe I just got lucky, but I tend to believe that there is some change. Touch wood!

True. There has been a directive by the higher ups on not harassing cars which are out of state by randomly stopping them for checks. Hence the change https://www.newindianexpress.com/cit...d-2470484.html

But harassment has now shifted to threats of license seizure and suspension in case of the smallest of offences it would seem. And the language barrier has been artificially created so that negotiations are out of scope and the common man should bribe their way out of trouble (to the tune of 2x or more of the fine amount).

Rather inappropriate, but, when there's a will, there's a way!

[srvm]

Originally Posted by NPV

To my (pleasant) surprise today, traffic cops presented themselves beside the Ganesha temple off New Thippasandra main road and stopped wrong side two wheeler riders. It was getting very bad on this road and I saw cops after several months here!

I even saw an auto driver warning two wheelers riding on the wrong side and told him not to. These people deserve to be challaned and will hopefully not repeat this.

NPV, I admire your optimism. Sorry to rain on your parade....

I too saw BTP cops near Kundapura Stationery shop (near Ganesha temple, New Thippasandra) last Saturday for hours together. They only caught 2-wheelers folks without helmets. While many usual riders going the wrong way in this one way road were happily strutting as usual between BEML Gate and More Supermarket

[itwasntme]

Bridge too far? BDA in a muddle over Hebbal flyover loop in Bengaluru

Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/k...r-loop-3377330

Utter nincompoops cannot coherently plan and enhance / upgrade a relatively simple interchange/ junction. Needless to say, every other agency or authority is to blame for this fiasco other than themselves.

I must though commend the Bangalore Traffic Police for at least trying out various strategies and tweaks to enhance traffic flows.

This is not just at Hebbal but across our North BLR area. Traffic is growing at an insane pace here with the explosive growth of KIAL (and associated stakeholders), profusion of business parks in operation or being operationalised, quick commerce and it’s pitfalls, access to the excellent STRR between Dabaspete and Hoskote, and the general saturation and current miserable condition of the ORR.

It is a difficult task but I see the BTP trying out tweaks almost on a weekly basis. Some work and are made permanent, while others are quickly rolled back when they don’t work out as planned. It is a thankless job.

[SideView]

Got an info in our community whatsapp group that “electornic city elevated highway” is closed from both sides.

Can anyone confirm this? And please plan your travels accordingly.



Edit: seems it is reopened now.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by SideView

Got an info in our community whatsapp group that “electornic city elevated highway” is closed from both sides.

Update as of 30/01/2025 morning 09:30AM. I used the elevated highway on E-City to City side. The elevated highway is open on both directions. But I found that, the road has been scrapped up, for re-tarring. I think they may close the elevated highway at nighttime to do the repairs and retarring work.

[glovins2004]

As an enthusiast, I'm afraid that I might hate driving soon. Hence, I stopped taking my car for office commute and relying on KIA BMTC shuttle.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by NPV

To my (pleasant) surprise today, traffic cops presented themselves beside the Ganesha temple off New Thippasandra main road and stopped wrong side two wheeler riders. It was getting very bad on this road and I saw cops after several months here!

You and I live in the same part of town, I think. I too see the cops occasionally there doing their job. But it's far too infrequent to strike fear in those people who break the rule. What I meant in the previous post was I hope the cops ramp up the enforcement for wrong way riding like they did for drunken driving. The same scale. Today I will almost certainly get caught on the road back home if I drink and drive on Friday or Sat night. The chances are so high/certain, that I won't even try it. Wrong-side driving on the same stretch, still lots of people get away.

I know the cops are short staffed, so some things they can try is to do it more frequently, but totally at random. Make the penalty so stiff that the risk is not worth it. 5000 rupee fine or seize the vehicle for x days, maybe. Start a campaign with respected Kannada actors denouncing people who ride the wrong way. Ask an ad agency to come up with a funny and catchy song denouncing people who go the wrong way, so anyone doing that will hear other people sing that to them! Things like that.

[gtonsing]

Originally Posted by am1m

-Snipped-

I know the cops are short staffed, so some things they can try is to do it more frequently, but totally at random. Make the penalty so stiff that the risk is not worth it. 5000 rupee fine or seize the vehicle for x days, maybe. Start a campaign with respected Kannada actors denouncing people who ride the wrong way. Ask an ad agency to come up with a funny and catchy song denouncing people who go the wrong way, so anyone doing that will hear other people sing that to them! Things like that.

Great ideas and should really be explored. However these still cost money and for a cash strapped department, I dont know how feasible they will be.
What is worrying is that some of these defaulters carry their children with them or our children see them doing these things and the children will be influenced that it is "okay" and they wont think it wrong to drive on the wrong side abnormal anymore when they come of the driving age. Seriously needs an urgent crackdown.