[Swarup5]

So it was a weekend trip to Bangalore ( yes, a trip no one takes ). A visit to the airport and relatives place made sure my weekend was spoilt.

Few things I want to rant after completing the frustrating drive.

- Compared to pre covid times, either the population has bought more cars or the traffic overall has increased for worse.

- Traffic on KIA airport road is no less than the outer ring road. Hebbal flyover was a real pain.

- Saw at least 4-5 incidents of road rage on a day of drive!!

- Felt the pain of seeing a few Audis, Jaguars struggling and juggling to save themselves from the reckless traffic.

- If you are going to South Bangalore, you always need to stick to the main roads. Google maps just leads you to the narrow streets where you are sure to either get stuck or lost. Happened to see a dead end followed by a steep set of steps which led to someplace which only google maps could see fit for a car !!!


We should save Bangalore from the mess we have created ourselves. Civic bodies no longer exist.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by sridhu

Cops are at the Koramangala Ooty chocolate signal catching people taking left turn saying free left is not allowed. No board prohibiting left turn there. Signal shows blinking green left. No red left arrow.

I asked the cop there and he says if the green left is off you can't take a left turn.

This sounds like nonsense to me. And completely contrary to what i remember of the rules: free left is always allowed unless explicitly prohibited.

Can someone point to the appropriate MV Act, KA section?

Is my understanding wrong?

PS: I was on foot and hence for me the argument was academic at this time

About 10-15 yrs back the BTP o/n made the change that instead of having a no free left turn board to prohibit a left turn at a red signal there now needs to a be a free left turn board to allow a left turn. Post this many signals were upgraded from the round green or just straight and right to specific ones for left right and straight. However I haven't seen a single new free left turn board. Those initial days were harrowing especially around the Koramangala area. Got caught some 3-4 times near Forum.

[gtonsing]

Today, had a pleasant drive (relative) during 'rush hour' from Hennur side to RMZ Infinity on Swami Vivekananda Road (old madras road). I didnt face any jams or slow moving vehicles on the way to or from home. Happy to report this today.
And, small stretch of Hennur road (one side) infront of D'Mart is fixed. Hopefully the entire stretch is fixed soon, both sides of the road.

[ShreyG]

Hi
Does anyone else also face the dilemma of using the bus lane on ORR? Cops are regularly catching 2 wheelers when going towards Silk Board (especially after Ecoworld) but I do not see any such strictness while going towards Marathalli. From what I have understood, we can use the bus lane where ever the metro blocks are covering one lane of the road. Leaves a lot of room for judgement.

[sachinpk]

My observation from one month; where I had to drive towards many parts of the city. Roads seemed to be uniformally bad with many potholes, indicating a clear lack of maintenance. Perhaps the feeling that due to COVID road users are less (and complaints are less) seems to have made the civic authorities complacent. During the first heavy rain fall (happened in September time frame) I had to take some friends from E-City towards Yeshwantpur & Hebbal side in the night. Water logged roads were way too many to even keep a count of it. I returned late night, so road on the middle of the road at many places.

Originally Posted by ShreyG

From what I have understood, we can use the bus lane where ever the metro blocks are covering one lane of the road. Leaves a lot of room for judgement.

The best 'judgement' I saw was yesterday night. Was returning from K.R Puram and the bus lane was there from right from the start of ORR. At many places I saw two wheelers and taxi cabs happily cruising on it (and the other fools like me; kept on the other two tracks ). When I was at the Agara fly over there was this irritating water tanker who seems to be in a hurry. Right after the fly over he got into a tough situation; on the right of him was me and a slow moving truck. On the front was a covered/transport auto rickshaw. And on his left was the infamous bus lane. The tanker driver just swerved to the left, ran over the plastic bollards and went ahead on the bus lane. I had a revelation that bus lane kind of stuff only works in places where there are more civilised drivers.

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

The tanker driver just swerved to the left, ran over the plastic bollards and went ahead on the bus lane. I had a revelation that bus lane kind of stuff only works in places where there are more civilised drivers.

Such instances make life a bit easier for us folk who are trying to dart in and out of the bus lane without facing the wrath of the BTP . Broken bollards are such a common sight nowadays.
On the taxicabs cruising, they have seemed to assume that it is now a private lane for them where they can stop when they fancy for drop / pick up.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

Hi
Does anyone else also face the dilemma of using the bus lane on ORR? Cops are regularly catching 2 wheelers when going towards Silk Board (especially after Ecoworld) but I do not see any such strictness while going towards Marathalli. From what I have understood, we can use the bus lane where ever the metro blocks are covering one lane of the road. Leaves a lot of room for judgement.

The only 2 places where you can "legally" use the bus lane are I think in the Karthik Nagar subway just post the rainbow hospital junction and in front of innovative multiplex. The bollards have also been removed here.

However in both these places due to the amount of traffic that exits from the Alpine Eco road and Marathalli Bridge it is actually better to just stick to ORR.

Everywhere else it is reserved for buses only. I have seen people getting caught in front of Croma in Kadubeesanalli as well.

I only frequent the KR Puram to Bellandur section hence no idea about Bellandur to Silk Board.

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by anandhsub

The only 2 places where you can "legally" use the bus lane are I think in the Karthik Nagar subway just post the rainbow hospital junction and in front of innovative multiplex. The bollards have also been removed here.

However in both these places due to the amount of traffic that exits from the Alpine Eco road and Marathalli Bridge it is actually better to just stick to ORR.

Everywhere else it is reserved for buses only. I have seen people getting caught in front of Croma in Kadubeesanalli as well.

I only frequent the KR Puram to Bellandur section hence no idea about Bellandur to Silk Board.

I think that would be to enter the service lane / to turn left towards Old Airport road.
I would assume that entry to the bus lane post the SJR junction would also be allowed given the one lane is almost completely covered by metro blocks till about Bellandur. Again, left to the judgement of the rider / driver and the BTP official waiting on the other side.

[airbus]

Hope this kind of unique actions will help to get some attention from the concerned authorities.

Bengaluru residents perform ‘pothole puja’ to draw administration’s attention.

After planting paddy and boating on roads to draw attention towards pothole-ridden roads of Bengaluru, residents of the city Tuesday performed an elaborate pothole puja, praying that they would not take any lives or injure anyone.

[audioholic]

Today went to work after close to a year and took the ORR. The bus lane was and is a stupid, unplanned, illogical waste of public money and it pains to see the sort of misuse of tax payer money which is now in shambles in most of the places. Any sane accountant would not have issued the funds for the bollards if the metro construction was going to start any moment. Instead, they poured money down the drain in those bollards, lots of paint on the road and signages everywhere. In addition to this, we have a cycle lane on certain parts of the service road to the right side. Both these are being blatantly misused and in most places impractical to use also. If someone can file a PIL against those who implemented this, and also involve those who lobbied for this without foresight I would be really glad. This was definitely not the time to implement such an arrangement. If these people could wait until metro construction was over, at least the ground work, then there would have been enough space and the roads would have been widened uniformly to suit the metro viaduct and after that, we could have all the lanes that was needed.

[joslicx]

Totally agree with you audioholic. One vehicle breakdown and ORR will come to a halt. They should just cut their losses and remove these monstrosities and help the traffic. It's only gonna get worse as more and more offices open and more people start coming to work.

[procrj]

I need to go to Belandur post office area tomorrow morning around 10 am. What's the recommended route from Hebbal area?

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by joslicx

One vehicle breakdown and ORR will come to a halt. They should just cut their losses and remove these monstrosities and help the traffic.

Cut their losses? It is the taxpayer's loss, the people who implemented this have, in fact, minted money and will loot more in the name of fixing this while creating a new mess. These corrupt officials need to be put behind bars and be made to compensate the taxpayer.
BTW, new foot overbridges are also being constructed at many spots, which again have to be removed for the metro

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by procrj

I need to go to Belandur post office area tomorrow morning around 10 am. What's the recommended route from Hebbal area?

Probably better off sticking to ORR. From KR Puram, Metro construction has made many stretches one lane. But should be manageable considering majority of offices are still WFH and you wont see the pre pandemic ORR traffic

[gtonsing]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

----These corrupt officials need to be put behind bars and be made to compensate the taxpayer-----

The maintenance of the jails and inmates expenses also come from tax payers money again. There really is no escape